Unsinkable
by HeartsBroken
Summary: For the 100th Anniversary of the tragic end to Titanic, I have written a story with my favorite couple, Erik and Christine. Summary Inside! Please Rate and Comment!
1. Love At First Sight

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or any ideas I get from Titanic. I am just using them for entertainment purposes.**

**A/N: Okay, so I got this idea when I went to see Titanic in 3D at the movie theater. I just realized the tragedy of the ship wreck would be amazingly done with my favorite couple, Erik and Christine. I didn't want to make it exactly like Rose and Jack's love story because James Cameron is just perfect and I don't want to change that amazing love story. Instead Erik and Christine meet in different situations. There are some parts of the Titanic movie that I have decided to add in here because they are so romantic and I need to write them for Erik and Christine. Anyway, the summary is below and read on to the first chapter!**

**Summary: Erik is a millionaire architect that works with his father in their family business back in America. He comes to France for business and when he is done he plans to go straight back home. He stops at the opera house for one night of entertainment and that is when he sees Christine. She is the lead dancer and the grace and poise catches Erik's eyes. After the show he meets her father and learns that they are about to become destitute. Erik decides he will take both of them back to America with him and marry her as soon as they get there. Her father agrees and soon all three board the Titanic to his home. Will Christine be accepting? What will happen when the ship starts to descend into the sea? Will they become closer or drift apart?**

**Unsinkable **

Chapter 1: Love at First Sight

"So I believe we are done here?" Erik said as he stood and started rolling up his drawings and floor plans that were spread out on the desk in front of the two gentlemen.

"Yes sir. I will have the money sent over to your home in America as soon as possible." The other man said.

Physically they were complete opposite people, but the one thing they do have in common is a visual eye for perfection. That is why Erik left the boardroom with a metaphorical lump of money in his pocket.

The man was short and round, much like all wealthy men that are married and have children growing. After a certain age their belly extends and they give up on keeping themselves clean and proper for their wives. He had a bushy beard and mustache and beady green eyes and blotchy skin. He was wearing his nicest suit which happened to be worn and had small holes in the elbow patches.

Of course Erik noticed and he was a bit irritated by it. Everything about Erik was clean and proper. He was tall and well built, as if he made some time for fitness and working out. His legs were long and his chest was burly. He wore a very nice suit black over white and a golden brown vest. His hair always was neatly combed back and parted in the middle and his teeth always shined pearly. His skin was never marred by pimples or rough from unshaved facial hair, he always made himself look perfect. The only thing that he regretted was the mask on the right side of his face. He had come from America, his home, to Europe on a great passenger ship to have a meeting and the first thing his customer saw was the mask.

His mother hadn't taken care of herself while she was pregnant with him. She hadn't realized she was pregnant with him until he was almost fully grown inside her. The result from smoking and drinking alcohol while holding him was the distortion on the right half of his face. Shortly after he was born his mother had died from a type of cancer that she had all through the pregnancy. The doctors were surprised she lasted long enough to give birth to Erik and they were surprised to see that he was completely healthy and in no danger of carrying the sickness that had taken his mother. His father never cared about the deformity and was just happy to have a son.

It was Erik's idea to get the mask and his father didn't try to object as he knew Erik always got his way. At the age of ten Erik had fashioned his own masks and would have one for almost every day of the month. Over the years the masks grew and got bigger as his face got bigger. Now at the age of forty he has one mask that he prefers among all the others. The plain white, half mask that covers from forehead to upper lip.

Now that his business was over he was ready to go back home. He was picked up outside the building by his personal chauffeur and was ready to go back to the hotel he was staying at and pack for tomorrow's journey back to the states. He was passing by many people walking on the streets and vendors passing out papers to promote an event or an opening of a business. Nothing he cared much for. When he was suddenly stopped in traffic he looked out the window at the magnificent opera house standing a few feet away.

He always loved music, if he didn't become an architect he would have composed music or worked for a company such as the opera house. He always loved the spectacle and the atmosphere that surrounded it. He never had time to stop and see a play and for some reason seeing the building now made him want to stop everything and just watch a performance.

"Michael, stop here." He said to the driver.

The car stopped and pulled over to the side of the street. Erik got out of the back without waiting for the driver to come over and open it. He signaled to wait here and walked across the street to the opera house. When he reached the steps leading up to the doors he could hear rehearsal going on inside.

He walked over to the side where the ticket holder stood and asked, "Sir is there a performance tonight?"

"Yes, sir. Carmen is being performed tonight and you are lucky because I just had two cancellations."

"Perfect. I just need one ticket please." He said as he put a few bills in his hand to cover the price.

"Alright." His eyes glowed at the money that was placed in his hand. "Your seat will be in box five. Here is your ticket and enjoy the show."

"Thank you." He said back before walking back to his car.

He had only a couple hours until the show starts so he had to change and have dinner before it was time to go.

**xXx**

Erik was led to the box and realized it was right next to the stage. He would be able to see everything up close and hear everything clearly. There was six chairs sitting in the space and he was given the one in the front row farthest from the stage, but given a very nice view. He had come early to make sure he got a good seat and would have time to look over the information sheet before the show started.

He looked at the title that meant nothing to him, Carmen. He didn't know what it was about or who was performing the characters. As he looked at the sheet he learned that the story was about a man who gave up everything for a gypsy that seduced him with her charms and he soon found out she moved on to another man. Jealousy takes over and he ends up killing her in rage.

He looked down the cast list and saw a Senor Piangi playing the lead role of Don Jose and a Senora Carlotta portraying Carmen. Both Italian actors playing the Spanish characters, at least the company got the right people to play the cast.

The rest of the people he had to share a box with arrived with flutes of champagne and sat in their seats. Only a short time after that did the orchestra start and the lights started to dim. Suddenly the curtain was open to reveal a small square in the middle of Seville, Spain.

The music started and all the actors started singing. The lyrics were in Spanish which made it hard to understand the story, the only way to follow it was to watch them perform and watch what they do. When Carlotta came onto the stage and sang her song of seduction Erik just wanted to run away. Her voice was horrible. He looked around to see everyone else enjoying it and he realized this was opera. _'That high pitched, annoying sound coming from her throat was entertainment?' _he thought with disgust.

He was about ready to get up in leave; he didn't want a burst eardrum from sitting here for a couple hours listening to that. When he was about to stand he saw the dancers come out and whirl around the singers in an exotic dance. The leading female dancer broke away from the others and did a twirl. Erik was suddenly amazed and sat back down in his seat.

Everyone else on the stage was a blur and he could no longer hear the music or the awful screech from Carlotta. All he saw was her.

She had gorgeous flowing brown hair that fell to her hips in loose curls. A piece of her hair was pulled back and held by a blooming red rose. Her skin was a creamy pale color and she had a light blush on her cheeks from the dancing and the music. She was wearing a lacy dress with her shoulders showing from the drooping sleeves and her ankles were showing from the short skirt. She was barefoot and her feet moved with such grace.

Erik looked down at the information and right next to where it said lead dancer it said Christine Daaé.

He looked back up at Christine and noticed she had blended back into the other dancers and was now up close and personal with a shirtless male dancer in an exotic pose. A stab of jealousy hit him hard at the look she gave the man she was dancing with. He knew it was acting, but she made it look so real.

The song ended and everyone dispersed to the wings of the stage and the curtain fell. Everyone started clapping for the amazing acting and the amazing dancing. Erik clapped for the beauty of one Christine Daaé.

**xXx **

The play ended all too soon and everyone stood for a standing ovation. The whole cast of the play was standing on the stage bowing and accepting the flowers that were given. Erik stared at Christine as she bowed gracefully and gave a large smile of respect.

When she exited the stage Erik stood and made his way to the back of the stage. He had to meet this woman. When he made it to the back all the performers were gathered around having something to drink and removing the wigs and accessories that they adorned on stage.

Erik passed some dancers that were giggling and past Carlotta and Piangi who were gloating over the manager's compliments. He almost scoffed from the way the managers were blatantly dishonest in front of them and the Spanish actors didn't even realize it.

He saw a door that was open wide at the end of the hall and next to the door it said, Mademoiselle Daaé. He quickly made his way through the crowds and when he reached the door he saw Christine sitting at her vanity wiping the make-up off her face. She had pulled the rose out of her hair and it was now pulled back with a black ribbon. She hadn't noticed him standing there and before he could step through the door and introduce himself another man walked past him and led himself to Christine.

The man was about his age only he had graying hair and circles under his eyes. Erik suddenly felt angry that man had cut in front of him and approached Christine. The anger suddenly dissipated when she turned to look at the man and smiled before saying,

"Hello, Daddy."

'_That man was her father?'_ Erik thought. _'I have no reason to be jealous then.'_

"Hello Angel. That was an amazing performance." He said to her as he pulled a single rose out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Father, you shouldn't be spending money on flowers and a nice suit for every time you see me perform. You shouldn't even be wasting the money on tickets to see the plays when Carlotta is the one singing." Christine said with distaste.

Erik smiled at that. He was proud to hear that someone else hated that Italian woman's voice. He was happy to see that this woman was generous and had good taste in music.

"Sweetheart, I will always come and see you perform. I don't care how far in debt we are. I will always spend money on you."

"Father you need to stop. The business is going under and we are living off what I make in dancing, which is not a lot." She said angrily.

Erik was surprised by that. Her father looked very well put together, he had a nice suit and looked like he had a lot of power. Apparently not. They were living off of a leading dancer's salary. He suddenly got an idea and was about to walk in and interrupt when her father spoke.

"I don't want to talk about our financial stress right now. Get cleaned up and I will meet you outside with a carriage. We are going to stay with Madame Giry and Meg."

As her father started walking away Christine pulled him back and asked curiously. "What happened to our home?"

Her father didn't answer that question, but gave her a guilty look and just said back. "Get ready. The Giry's aren't going to wait long."

Erik backed away from the door when her father left the dressing room and closed the door.

When he turned and was met face to face with a man wearing a white mask on the right side of his face he stepped back in surprise.

"Excuse me, sir." He said as he went to walk by Erik.

"I am sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear. You are having financial trouble?" Erik asked in a business man tone.

"I'm sorry sir?" he said confused.

"I have a proposition for you." Erik said with a small smile.

**xXx**

**Here is the first chapter! I wanted to get something up today for the anniversary. I might get another chapter up today, might be hard though with me having to get to work in a couple hours. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please Rate and Review!**


	2. The Propositon

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or any ideas I get from Titanic. I am only using them for entertainment purposes. **

**A/N: The title of the last chapter was wrong. I was rushing to leave for work and I didn't have a title so I typed that in. Just to be sure, Erik is not in love with Christine. He is interested in her and lusts after her. He does not have any emotional connection to her…yet. **

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 2: The Proposition

**xXx **

The next morning Erik sat at a table for two at the little café placed right next to the opera house. He was waiting for Monsieur Daaé to arrive for the meeting they decided to have. He didn't want to have this conversation with him in the backstage of the opera house surrounded by a bunch of people. He wanted it to be quiet and a nice atmosphere for the proposition he had.

When Christine's father arrived he was alone and extended his hand for a shake. Erik stood and took his hand in a manly handshake.

"How are you Monsieur Dreaser?" Christine's father asked as he sat down across from him.

"I am fine. How about you, Monsieur Daaé?" Erik answered back politely. Honestly he wasn't fine. He hadn't slept all night from thinking of Christine and the way she danced and the beauty she was. She had completely taken over his mind. If Monsieur Daaé refuses the plan he has, he would die an unhappy man.

"Please, call me Benjamin. I am feeling great. I am actually really curious as to what you wanted to talk about." He said as he took a sip of the tea that Erik ordered before he arrived.

"Well like I said I couldn't help but overhear the conversation you were having with your daughter. I heard you talking about running out of money and living off what she makes. I also heard that you aren't living in your own home anymore."

"Well it isn't that drastic. Christine seems to overanalyze things." He said looking embarrassed at the fact a complete stranger heard that conversation.

"You don't have to lie to me. If you are having financial trouble I can help." Erik said.

"Are you offering me a job?" he asked, guessing that is what the meeting was about.

"No. My offer is more personal than that." When he got a blank stare from Benjamin he continued. "I would like to propose marriage to your daughter and bring you both back to America with me."

Benjamin Daaé sat in front of him for a moment contemplating the idea. Every second felt like a day for Erik waiting for the answer. He wanted Christine. The moment he saw her start to dance on the stage he wanted her. She was beautiful and graceful. When Benjamin finally spoke, Erik breathed a sigh of relief.

"You want to marry my daughter?"

"Yes sir. I saw her on the stage last night and ever since I have been infatuated with her. When I heard you two talking I learned that she is generous and kind. We also both despise that Italian woman's voice."

He laughed at that declaration. "Well a lot of people don't like Carlotta, but she has a lot of money and that attracts people's attention." He said with a chuckle. "So you want us to go to America with you and live with you?"

"Yes. My father and I run an architectural business in New York and we are very successful."

"How successful?" Benjamin asked, eyes shining with the thought of being out of the line of poverty.

"I currently have a ticket sailing to America on the Mauretania, first class, tonight. If you accept my proposal I will trade it in for three tickets on the Titanic which sets sail next week."

"The Titanic?" his eyes widened in disbelief. "That is the most expensive ocean liner to board on. How will you be able to get tickets? It should be booked by now."

"I have my ways. Now will you accept me as your future son in law?" he asked wanting to get an answer right away.

"Why do you want to marry my daughter? Most men would see her dancing and want her as their mistress. Why are you interested in _marrying_ her?"

"I am not most men. My father has wanted me to marry for a long time now and before seeing Christine I wasn't interested in any woman. I am not interested in bedding a woman I am not married to. I want to have a wife I am interested in physically, mentally and socially. I want to be proud to have a wife on my arm in public and I want to be able to kiss her in front of people and be proud to call her mine." Erik said determined, hoping that was enough to persuade Benjamin to let him marry his daughter. "Now will you allow me to marry your daughter?"

A smile spread on his face and he outstretched his hand for another shake. "I would be honored to have Christine marry you, sir. In my opinion she couldn't do any better."

"Perfect. I am glad you agree. I will have the tickets sent to you and I will meet you and your daughter on the Titanic." He said as he readied himself to stand and prepare to leave.

"You don't want to meet Christine until then?" he asked curiously.

"I would like to officially meet and propose to her on the Titanic. The elegance will be a great setting. I would appreciate it if you didn't tell her my intentions towards her. I want it to be a surprise. I will see you soon." He said as he walked away with the biggest smile on his face.

Honestly he didn't want Christine to be turned away by the mask and refuse the engagement. He wanted to meet her on the ship where she couldn't run away and couldn't say no. He couldn't wait to see her again.

**xXx**

"Father, where have you been?" Christine asked curiously as she sat by the fire patching up holes in her favorite skirt.

Benjamin Daaé had just arrived back from meeting with Erik Dreaser and he was still in shock of what he had agreed to. _'What will Christine think?'_ He thought.

"I was just meeting with someone I met last night." He said as he sat across from her in the large overstuffed green chair.

She looked up curiously and asked, "Who?"

"His name is Erik Dreaser. He is an American and he saw you dancing last night." He said with a lowering of his head. He felt guilty for giving her away to a man she hasn't even met yet. He knew it was the right thing to do and he hoped she would understand.

"Oh. Well, what did you two talk about?" she asked nervously.

"He heard us talking last night after the performance in your dressing room and he was concerned."

"He heard about our financial trouble. Did he offer you a job?" she asked with a brightening in her eyes.

"No. Not exactly."

"Well what is it then?" she asked shaking from nervousness.

"Let me just say it is the right thing for us. We can't live in the Giry's home forever." He said looking up at the structure surrounding them. "We can't live off of your salary and pay all the debt we have."

"What did you do Father?" she asked as she placed her dress and needles on the table beside her.

He looked up guiltily and said, "Don't unpack your bags."

**xXx**

Erik had cancelled his tickets on the Mauritania and bought three tickets for the Titanic in first class. He wanted to get on and take Christine with him now, but the maiden voyage wasn't for another week. He had to wait and anticipate the wonderful meeting with Christine.

He didn't want to meet her before they got on the Titanic because he wanted to make sure that she was willing to come along without the mask being an issue. He wanted their first meeting to be perfect.

He decided to start off the longest week of his life by going to a jewelry store and picking out the best ring for Christine.

He saw a jewelry store and automatically walked in. The store was called Swarovski and everything looked like it was made of crystal. He looked at the glass enclosure that held all the beautiful engagement rings and one caught his eye over all the others.

It was a large royal blue diamond centered on a silver band with clear diamonds surrounding it. It looked fit for a queen.

"Hello sir. Can I help you with something?" the jeweler asked.

Erik looked up to face a man wearing an attractive black suit and his hair was groomed back nicely. He had a large smile on his face, anticipating the sale.

"Yes. I would like to look at this ring." Erik said as he pointed at the gorgeous band.

The man took the ring out of the case and placed it on top of the glass. Erik took the ring off the velvet pillow and admired it up close. Each diamond was cut perfectly and the size of the surrounding gems was beautiful with the centered blue diamond. It was absolutely astounding and he needed to get it for Christine.

After paying for the ring he placed it in his breast pocket and walked out of the store. He knew he had a lot more to do to prepare for Christine and so he gladly went to spend more money on fabulous womanly essentials.

**xXx**

Christine was definitely not happy. Her father and she were in a cab driving down the path from the Giry home with all their belongings packed on the back. From fathers need to sell a lot of things to pay off his debt, their belongings were all put into three trunk loads. One for her dresses, the ones she could keep. One for her father's clothing, worn from old age and unable to sell. The last one was full of pictures and valuables that they just couldn't give away.

Now she looked outside the back window of the car to her substitute mother and sister who were standing in their homes doorway waving back sadly. Seeing their faces for the last time was very hard because they were family and she only had a week to say goodbye to them.

She should have been given a month. This man that they were going to meet on the ship had taken everything from her. Everything she held dear, the Giry's, Paris, her job, her dreams, everything was ripped away and she was only given a week to say goodbye to it all.

'_Why wouldn't the man meet me until we were on the boat?'_ Christine asked herself. Father hadn't said anything about him, not a clue of what he looks like or what he wants from me. She had an idea of what he wanted if he was taking her to another country.

He wants me as his mistress. All older, richer men want a woman on the side that they can play with and use up until they get bored. _'Have I been reduced to a whore?' _she thought with disgust.

All she knew was this man's name was Erik Dreaser and he lived in America as a millionaire architect. She knew why her father did this. He wanted her to have a secure life; he didn't want them to be in poverty, scrapping for loose change. He wanted Christine to have money and safety, no matter what that means.

Now as the Giry's home was out of sight, Christine turned back in her seat and watched as Paris was taken away from her. The ride to the boat docks was a very long one. Christine didn't look at her father or even acknowledge his presence as she was still angry with him. Paris was long gone and she was sure never going to see it again, unless her new master allows her to come back.

She had stopped looking out the window as the view was too painful. She missed it so much and she didn't want to leave. But now she was going to take the largest ship in the world to America and live a new life. Of course her old life, with all its messiness, is much greater than her new life. Her new life was going to be full of intimate encounters that don't involve love and expensive bobbles that don't mean anything to her. She will be shown off as the pretty little thing on his arm that warms his bed. Unlike his wife that will have the respect and title of her husband, she will have the job of keeping him warm at night until he chooses for her to go.

Tears started welling up in her eyes at the thought of her virginity going to a middle aged man that will most likely be rough and uncaring. It will be ripped away from her with no love or feeling at all except pain, physical and emotional.

She was so lost in thought that they finally reached the docks and were surrounded by thousands of people. The driver of their cab was honking the horn to get through and when he got close enough he stopped and got out. The door next to her opened and the man's hand met hers to help her down.

She stepped down and looked out at the magnificent ship that she was about to set sail on. The Titanic.

**xXx **

**Sorry for the short chapters. If I don't make them short the story will end up being like ten chapters long. The Titanic only survived four days, not very long, so I don't want the story to be really short. **

**Well thank you to all the reviewers and people that added this story to their story alert list of favorite stories list. I hope you continue reading.**

**Please Rate and Comment! **


	3. Boarding

**Disclaimer+: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or any of the ideas I get from Titanic. They belong to their respective owners and I am just borrowing them for entertainment purposes. **

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 3: Boarding

**xXx **

Christine stared up at the largest ship ever made and saw all the people who were already on it waving down to their loved ones that they were leaving behind. An officer came over to them and led them straight over to the inspections.

Everyone had to be inspected before getting on the ship in fear that a disease would be brought over. The third class passengers were inspected for everything and the second class was inspected for half of what the third class had to do. First class, because they were clean and could afford hygiene only needed a lice check. That is why Christine sat in a chair while one of the doctors checked her scalp for lice and then her father's.

All first class passengers got first in line to check for lice while the third class had to wait and get inspected for everything. It only took Christine and her father ten minutes to get done and they were walking up the steps to enter the large ship. Their belongings had already been brought up while they were getting seen by the doctor so when they got to their room there stuff would be ready.

When they reached the entrance her father pulled their tickets out of his breast pocket and handed it to the guide. He looked at them and noticed the first class signal. He looked back at the two of them and saw her clothes had patched holes in them and his suit was ratted and old. He didn't believe them to be holding the right tickets and he turned to another guide.

"Sir, I don't believe these two are first class passengers?" the man asked the other worker for advice.

The man turned to face the father and daughter and agreed. He then looked down at the tickets where their names were displayed. He read Benjamin Daaé and Christine Daaé and immediately looked back up at them in shock.

"I am so sorry for the inconvenience. You are the two passengers joining Monsieur Erik Dreaser. I will show you to your room myself." He said pushing the other man aside and gesturing for the two highly important passengers to follow him.

Christine was confused by the change in character. Erik Dreaser must be a very powerful person for her and her father to be given special treatment by what looked to be the head of staff on the Titanic. She could see that they were unsure of her stature with the clothes she was wearing and the posture she had. They were about to remove them from the ship until he recognized their names. Who is Erik Dreaser? How powerful is he?

As they were walking through the halls and corridors Christine's father had his arm looped in hers to guide her and she was looking at everything that surrounded her. She stared in awe at the grand staircase and large glass dome above. She admired the dark wood walls and banisters, smooth as paper. She watched as other first class passengers were being escorted to their rooms and taking a stroll around the interior and admiring it as she was.

After a lot of interesting views and people they were brought into a room. They walked into a spacious sitting room, four arm chairs facing each other sat in the middle and a beautiful fire place sat in the wall with a mirror above it. The wood was also dark but had a hint of burgundy in it. There were lilies in a vase sitting on the little table in the center and another vase of carnations were in the corner of the room.

She saw that one load of their things were sitting against the wall of windows and the door leading to a private deck. Christine walked forward and through the glass doors to the small deck area. There was a little white table and three chairs surrounding it along with a china tea set sitting on top.

"Christine?" she heard from behind her.

She turned to see her father watching her from inside and their guide had left them alone.

"Would you like to see the rest of the suite?" he asked.

"Alright." She said as she turned one more time to look at the scenery.

They were on the opposite side of the ship so she didn't see the thousands of people waving goodbye and the land she would miss so much, but she saw the large ocean and the waves moving on the surface.

She turned back and walked into the sitting room again. Her father led her through a door she hadn't seen that was next to the fireplace. They walked through to see a bedroom with a large queen size bed and dresser against the opposite wall. The sheets and blankets were crisp and clean as if they had never been used and the pillows looked fluffed and soft.

They walked through to another room adjoining that one to see a more masculine room, but the same essential things. Each of the rooms had one of the large totes that they brought along. Christine's was in the first room and Benjamin's was in the second.

They walked back into the sitting room and saw another door on the other side of the fireplace. Christine almost went over to it to see what it was, but her father stopped her. "That is probably Monsieur Dreaser's room. You shouldn't go in there."

Christine agreed and walked over to the last door that was across from the sitting room believing it to be the bathroom. Christine opened it and admired the beautiful interior of the bathroom. There was a large mirror over a clean white sink and there was a flawless tiled floor at her feet. She saw the small toilet and walked by it to see what was around the corner. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the large deep bathtub. It was gorgeous with the clean white porcelain and gold faucet. She couldn't wait to use it. She could already imagine herself bathing in it surrounded by bubbles and candles.

"Darling?" she turned at the sound of her father's voice coming from somewhere in the suite.

She walked out of the bathroom and didn't see him in the sitting room so she kept walking through to the bedrooms and saw him standing on the other side of the bed looking through a door. She walked over, concerned and a little curious.

When she reached him she looked in to notice it was a walk in closet with one dress hanging on a hook. It wasn't her dress; it was way more expensive than what she could afford even before her father's business was plundering. She stared at the beautiful royal purple dress with black lace covering it. It was a short sleeve dress with a square neckline and white gloves that were long enough to reach her elbows. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen and before she could admire it more her father reached out to take it and they both noticed a piece of paper fall from the dress to land on the floor.

Christine walked forward and picked it up. She turned to her father, questioningly and he looked curious.

"Open it." he said.

She unfolded the paper and stared at the beautiful calligraphy that adorned it in black ink.

_Dear Christine, _

_I am sorry that I couldn't introduce myself to you when you arrived, but here is a token of my gratitude that you have decided to come along with me to America._

_I will meet you at the Grand Staircase at five o'clock before dinner is to be served. I cannot wait to meet you._

_Erik Dreaser_

Christine stared at the words that that man had written. _'He really has a way with words.'_ She thought as she was overcome with a feeling she didn't think she would have on meeting him: anticipation.

She looked back up at the dress and thought, _'Why would he buy me something without even knowing me first.'_

"What does it say?" her father asked as she admired the dress again.

She handed the paper to him so he could read it as she was too shaken to read it out loud.

He finished reading it and looked up at her with a smile lighting his face.

**xXx**

**Next chapter will be the meeting. I promise. Please Review and Comment!**


	4. Journey To Her Fate

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or any ideas I get from Titanic. They belong to their respective owners and I am only borrowing them for entertainment purposes. **

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 4: Journey To Her Fate

**xXx**

Christine felt she needed some fresh air, so she left the room and followed the signs leading to the decks. When she finally made it through the lavish interior and onto the white walled hard wood floor decks she started walking. She looked out at the water as she walked and saw everything was moving behind her. She was walking in the direction of the stern of the ship.

She opened the small gate and walked down the stairs to what looked to be a place where they held the loading crane. It also looked to be a third class loitering section. She kept walking past all of them to reach the staircase across. Without looking back she climbed the stairs and saw the end of the ship not far away.

Christine walked forward and was surprised to not see many people around this section. She must be the only person who cares to look at her home one last time. When she finally reached the edge she tried to control her tears and not let her emotions get the best of her. All she saw was a small dot in the distance; everything else was bluish green waves. She hadn't realized how long she had been in her cabin; she hadn't realized how long ago the ship had started to move. She bent her head to hide her face, letting all her hair fall like a curtain to make sure anyone that comes upon her will not see her hurt look.

Erik watched Christine walk across the expanse of the stern end of the ship. He stood on a higher level far enough away so she wouldn't see him, but he could see her. She was wearing a black dress that looked to be made of cheap material, but at least it didn't have any rips or stitched holes. It looked like it was somewhat new. _'Did she get a new dress to impress me?' _he thought with a slight smile. He enjoyed thinking about that. Of course he had bought her a dress that he would enjoy seeing her wear at dinner.

He watched her until the sky started to change to a pinkish color and France was no longer viewable. She lifted her head finally and wiped her eyes clean of tears and turned around. He saw her face still had trails of tears and her face was blotched with red spots from crying. She walked the way she came and when he couldn't see her he turned and headed to the dining room. He would wait for her there.

**xXx**

Christine stood in her current bedroom with her new dress sitting on the bed in front of her. She was only wearing her thin slip and trying to figure out how to put the corset on without help. She had a maid to help her apply her underclothing when her father was still well off and had a business running smoothly. Shortly after everything started going downhill the first thing to go was the help. Next were the expensive dresses which had corsets.

She had been wearing dresses that tied in the front that were easy to put on for over a year and any time she wore a corset was on the stage and she had seamstresses to put them on for her. She never had to put them on by herself. _'How was she going to do this?'_

A knock came to her bedroom door and she quickly put a robe on over her see through slip and went to answer the door. When the door opened her father was standing there with a maid in a black and white uniform standing behind him.

"Monsieur Dreaser had a maid sent up for your use." He said as he put his hand on the woman's back to push her through the door.

"Thank you." Christine said to her father before closing the door.

Benjamin paced in the sitting room waiting for his daughter and the maid to come out of the bedroom. He had already dressed in a clean, pressed suit that he found in the closet of his bedroom with a note saying, _'Thank you'_ from Erik Dreaser. Now he had his hair perfect and his clothing smooth and he was ready to go to dinner and have his daughter meet the man she was going to be bound to.

After pacing back and forth for a few minutes the bedroom door finally opened and Christine walked out wearing the most beautiful and most expensive dress she had ever worn. The purple with black lace over it was a perfect contrast for her slightly pale complexion and the gloves covered up to her elbows and fit nicely. _'How did Monsieur Dreaser get everything so perfectly fitted without knowing her measurements?'_ he thought to himself.

Her hair was piled on her head in a proper twist and she was wearing a crystal headband that held it up. Benjamin recognized it as a piece of jewelry that her mother had and she couldn't let go of it. That was the only jewelry she wore as everything else was sold or still in storage.

Christine walked forward and placed a kiss on his cheek in greeting.

"Let's go to dinner." Christine said with a small smile realizing what was coming when she got to the Grand Staircase. She was both looking forward to and dreading that meeting.

Benjamin silently bent his arm waiting for Christine to wrap hers around his in a courteous walk to the dining room. She wrapped her arm around his and tightened her hold nervously.

"Everything will be alright." He whispered in her ear, encouragingly.

They walked out of their compartment and down the hall, following all the other well-dressed passengers. She was back to being pulled by her father as she watched everyone around her and all the things she had missed before.

She saw Madame Aubart walking out of her room hand in hand with Monsieur Benjamin Guggenheim. She could see that he was wearing a wedding ring, but she was not which told that she was his mistress. She didn't judge their relationship. She admired the Madame's voice. She was an amazing singer by occupation, maybe not on a stage, but she could make it there. She hoped she could get a moment to talk with her and maybe even have a singing competition.

She suddenly realized Monsieur William Ernest Carter and his wife and two children were walking in the same direction only a few feet in front of them. She recognized him as a wonderful admirer that would send her an innocent white rose after her performances. He had only come to a few as he was a visiting businessman and didn't have a lot of time for entertainment. She had met him once when he gave her a sweet smelling rose in person and prized her on her amazing dancing ability. She would make sure to talk to him once on the journey and maybe hold one of his children in a friendly manner.

She watched at how happily he held his wife on his arm and kept an eye on his children. She hoped that she would be that happy when she gets married, if she ever gets married.

Christine and her father walked through the halls and reached the balcony looking down at the staircase and all the mahogany wood work and white walls. She looked down at all the people standing together talking and preparing to go into the dining room.

Christine moved her eyes around and saw a few people she recognized from the newspaper and others she recognized as people that would come to the opera and she would see backstage.

John Jacob Astor and his young wife Madeline are the richest people on the ship and they were standing talking to Count Raoul de Chagny and his wife Marguerite. Marguerite looked very much like Christine's best friend in France, Meg Giry. She hoped she could spend some time with her and get to know her.

She looked at two men who were in deep conversation at the bottom of the stairs and she realized she was staring right at Thomas Andrews, the builder of the Titanic. She had seen his face in every article and in every newspaper that talked about the majestic ship. She was definitely interested in talking to him about the ship she was standing in.

What made her curious was who he was talking to. The man had his back turned so she could only see a clean black suit covering wide shoulders and a slender waist. She could see trousers covering long legs and a nice fit backside. His hair was short, just reaching behind his ears and was slicked back from his face. She was very interested to see what his front looked like. The back was very handsome. Too bad she wouldn't have a chance with him as she was to meet an Erik Dreaser and become his mistress. No man would want a used up woman.

Her father whispered something in her ear before letting her arm go and walk down the stairs before her. Christine hadn't heard what he said as she was too lost in her thoughts. Her father was already half way down when she woke from her trance of looking at the man's lovely visage. She turned to follow the direction her father took and reached the top of the stairs.

She started walking down the steps and reached the halfway point where a small, but elegant, grandfather clock was embedded into the dark wood wall. She admired it for a moment before turning to take the rest of the steps.

When she took hold of the banister and took one step down she held her head up high in a normal first class posture and was surprised to see almost everyone looking at her.

She didn't realize she had made any noise or had done anything to get everyone's attention. She was starting to grow red from embarrassment at having everyone staring at her. She looked at the three men standing closest to her and saw her father's smiling face and Monsieur Andrews standing next to him. But the man she had only earlier seen the back of was staring at her with complete abandon.

He had wide eyes and a small smile on his face as if he didn't smile all that often and that was all he could summon. His eyes were also admiring her figure and loving the dress she was wearing, as if he picked it out and was happy to find it complimented her. The first thing Christine noticed was the white mask that he wore on the right side of his face and seemed to somehow stay there with nothing holding it on. It was both frightening and fascinating. She wanted to get closer and see the detail and texture of it, but she couldn't move her feet. When their eyes met it was like both of their hearts skipped a beat and they didn't know how to move. Christine stood on the top step holding onto the banister to keep her standing. He was at the bottom only ten feet in front of her keeping a grip on the Cupid wood statue adorning the banister.

He must have finally been able to do what she couldn't and he stepped forward. He walked up the steps until they were inches apart. He was one step down and still a few inches taller than her which told Christine how tall he would be if they were on the same level.

She felt a large hand reach for her gloved hand that wasn't currently holding onto the stairs. He lifted it high enough before leaning forward to place a soft kiss on the back of it. He lifted his eyes to hers and finally spoke in a deep sensuous voice.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you Mademoiselle. My name is Erik Dreaser."

**A/N: For the scene when Christine and her father are walking to the dining room I used names of real passengers and described them by real pictures I found on the internet or from the film. Then of course I added Raoul and he is married to Marguerite. I know I slipped on that as Christine and her father were staying with the Giry's in France, but this is a different Meg. Looks like Meg Giry, but is Marguerite de Chagny. **

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	5. Shocking Revelations

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or any ideas I get from Titanic. They belong to their respective owners. I own some of the unrecognizable characters and some of the plot.**

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 5: Shocking Revelations

**xXx**

Christine stood before Erik Dreaser with a look of shock on her face. Her eyes widened and she had lost the ability to even move. She was frozen in place.

Erik had taken hold of her hand to kiss it lightly and all she felt was the aftermath of warmth on the silk of her gloves where his lips touched. She couldn't think of what to say or how to react to this discovery. She had believed this Monsieur Dreaser would be a short balding man with the look of someone who had given up on his appearance. She pictured in her mind a man three times her age with a wife at home that was disgusted with his appearance. She hadn't thought the man she would soon be a mistress to would be so gorgeous.

The mask on his face heightened her curiosity and she didn't know what the reason for it was. All she could think was that it fit him very nicely. Without knowing anything about him she had already known that he was a secretive man. She could tell that he had a deeper understanding of the world and that he was powerful.

After a moment she could see and hear him talking to her and she let the fogginess disappear so she could respond.

"Mademoiselle?" he asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Pardon?" Christine asked having not heard what he said before.

"I just wanted to say how pleased I am to make your acquaintance." He said with a slight smile of appreciation.

"Thank you." She said having no other words to say. She feared she would slip and say something inappropriate that would embarrass herself and probably him. "It is nice to meet you as well."

With another small smile lighting his face he took her hand and placed it on his arm to lead her down the rest of the stairs and towards the rest of the group. He led her straight over to Thomas Andrews, the man she saw him speaking to moments earlier.

"Monsieur Andrews, I would like to introduce you to Christine Daae." Erik said not removing his eyes from her beautiful face.

Thomas took her hand that wasn't wrapped around Erik's arm and gave it a light kiss out of politeness. "It is very wonderful to meet you, Mademoiselle."

"Thank you. You as well." She said with a smile. She was proud to be introduced to this man as he had been in every newspaper and talked about constantly. She hoped she would get another chance to speak with him about the majestic ship they were on.

Thomas smiled at her reaction to him and turned to face Erik who still held her arm in a dominant manner. "Monsieur Dreaser, would you and Christine accompany me to my table for supper?"

"That would be wonderful." Christine said softly. She then realized Thomas and Erik were both staring at her and she felt embarrassed as she realized the question was aimed towards Erik not her.

She looked at Erik to apologize for her indecent manners, but was shocked to see him smiling down at her on the verge of laughing.

Erik turned back to Mr. Andrews and said, "As the lady commands."

Thomas smiled at both of them before saying, "Perfect."

As Mr. Andrews started walking towards the double doors leading into the dining room Erik and Christine followed behind. Christine spotted her father talking to someone and turned to Erik to ask a question.

"May I let my father sit at Mr. Andrews table as well?"

Erik turned to look down at her and as if he couldn't refuse her he smiled and turned back to Thomas who walked right in front of them.

"Thomas?" Erik spoke.

He turned to face them questioningly and Erik asked, "Would you mind if Christine's father, Benjamin Daae, sat with us at your table?"

"Of course." He agreed before turning to Christine to ask where he was.

Christine slowly released her hold on Erik to walk over to her father who stood not far from them. When she reached him he looked at her and smiled happily.

"Isn't this wonderful, Christine?" he said looking around at everyone and enjoying himself.

"Yes. This is perfect." She said agreeing with the atmosphere and the fact that the man she thought would be ugly turned out to be drop dead gorgeous. "Monsieur's Andrews and Dreaser would like us both to sit at their table. Will you join us?"

He looked past her to see Erik and Thomas waiting for them and agreed quickly. He took her arm and guided her back to the two gentlemen.

"It is very kind of you to allow us to sit at your table, Mr. Andrews." Benjamin said with a slight bow at the powerful gentleman before him.

"It is no trouble at all. I hope you will all sit at my table every night." He said honestly. He then turned back to the direction of the dining room and walked forward.

With Christine back on Erik's arm and her father walking beside her with Thomas Andrews guiding them to their table, she felt like the most important person in the room. When they finally reached the table in the center of all the others Erik took hold of a chair and pulled it out for her, not allowing any of the employees on the ship to handle it.

Christine sat in the seat and felt the chair get pushed in before Erik took his seat right next to her. She watched as her father sat across from her and Mr. Andrews sat at the head of the table. All the other passengers were ushering in and taking their seats at the many tables in the room. She was surprised to see Mr. Astor and his wife sit at their table along with many other rich couples.

When all the people were seated the ushers and waiters came out pushing carts with different food on them. The first appetizer was coming out. As everyone was given small crackers, or bread, they were then given a choice of shrimp, caviar or parsley to put on top of it as an appetizer.

All around her people were talking to each other about personal things and ideas. Christine hadn't realized that throughout the first course she hadn't spoken a word, but just watched as everyone else enjoyed themselves. She just kept taking small bites of her bread topped with parsley and enjoyed watching everyone talk amongst themselves.

The second course was brought out right after the bread was returned to the kitchens. Christine was happy to see some kind of sustenance as she hadn't eaten all day from nervousness. She saw Cream of Barley soup was put in front of her and it looked absolutely delicious. The smell was even amazing.

To keep from embarrassing herself she waited until someone else took a sip before she did. She took small spoonful's of the soup and enjoyed every tasty bite. All around her people kept talking and she looked up when someone across the table mentioned Erik's name.

"So Monsieur Dreaser, what brought you here to France? From your accent I can tell you are American." Raoul de Chagny asked from across the table.

"Yes, sir, I am. I came over to give a business proposal to Monsieur Belfort. He wants my company to build him another high-rise building. I am Erik Dreaser from the Dreaser Architectural Company in New York. We are very sought after."

Christine stared at him in surprise. She thought that he was another one of those men that grew up with a lot of money and was going to be a pompous, arrogant man. She was happy to hear that he earned the money he had and used it well.

"Impressive. Maybe I will hire you on to make my home in America. My wife Marguerite here" he said wrapping a hand around hers that was delicately placed on the table "wants to give birth to our baby in America and I thought how about we build a home there." He said with a smile towards his wife.

Christine hadn't realized that Marguerite was pregnant when she saw her from the view on the stairs. She must have been hiding it well. Now as she stared she could see that Marguerite was sitting awkwardly from her large baby bump.

Christine could tell that they were in love and she enjoyed seeing that whenever she could because it was so rare. She also wished she could have that, but with the man sitting next to her only wanting one thing it would be rather impossible.

Raoul and Erik started talking light business through the next three courses and Christine had remained silent throughout. She enjoyed small bites of her vegetables, fish and lamb and waited for the waiters to take her last dish away.

Not realizing that she had been spoken to she was shocked to feel a hand on her elbow. She turned to see Erik staring at her and trying to get her attention.

"I'm sorry." She said, not knowing what else to say.

"It's alright. Monsieur de Chagny wanted to know how you had come to be on this ship and I thought maybe you would like to speak." He said graciously.

"Oh." Christine said turning to Raoul to see his eyes staring into hers. "Well I am the lead dancer at the Opera Populaire and one night I caught Monsieur Dreaser's eye and he proposed a deal with my father." She looked towards her father and saw him looking at her with a small smile. She knew that the next thing she was about to say was unbelievably inappropriate, but it had to be said, to tell everyone that she was slightly uncomfortable with her new life. "I am to be his mistress whenever he feels up to having me."

Erik's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in surprise. He turned to her father who had the same expression and before he would even think to speak, Christine stood from her seat and excused herself.

"What an outspoken woman you have there, Erik." Raoul said before averting his eyes to the new dish presented to him.

Erik thought that Christine might need some alone time, but he couldn't hold himself back from speaking with her and telling her the true reason for her company. Erik stood from his seat as well and excused himself. He walked past all the other tables and out of the dining room. He made it to the staircase and didn't see Christine anywhere so he climbed the steps and headed down the hall to his suite.

When he reached for the door he went for the doorknob, but it wouldn't turn. He pulled out the key from his pocket and with a sigh of frustration he opened the door and closed it behind him. When the sitting room was empty he noticed her bedroom door was closed and walked over to it. He almost went for the doorknob, but realized that wouldn't be a good way of gaining her trust.

He knocked lightly on the door and calmly said, "Christine, come out of this room right now."

After silence answered him he almost went to turn the doorknob, but he heard the click of the lock on the door. He wasn't sure if she just locked it or if she unlocked it, but he waited. He then saw the doorknob turn and he stepped back to see the door open a crack and her head popped out.

She looked like she had been crying. From the look on her face Erik wanted to just damage the door that separated them just to get to her and hold her. He couldn't believe that she would think he wanted her for just sex. He wanted her for much more than that. From the circumstances he could understand that she would think that because of how sudden it was.

What surprised him most was what she said next. "Do you want my company tonight?"

From the look on her face he could tell she meant a different kind of company. Erik was tempted to say yes to her, but he just couldn't break her more than she already was at the moment.

He silently shook his head, but after a moment he said, "Would you take a walk with me?"

Christine looked surprised, but agreed and opened the door wider so she could stand in front of him. Erik bent his arm in a way for her to wrap her arm around his and she obeyed. They left the suite and started heading down the hallways.

Everyone was still enjoying the lavish food in the dining room so they were quickly able to make their way out to the deck.

The moment they stepped outside the wind was sending a cold night breeze and Christine immediately shivered. Erik released her arm and pulled his large suit jacket off so he could wrap it around her shoulders. He kept his hands on the collar of his jacket for a moment, just so he could feel the warmth of her skin and the softness of her hair.

Christine was nervous being around him alone. She didn't know what kind of man he was and she was almost afraid of what he could do to her. Not just violently. As they stood on the deck looking out at the water and endless sky they were both leaning slightly close to each other without realizing it.

Suddenly Erik got an idea and he took her ungloved hand into his. She had taken her gloves off when she got inside her suite. She had been ready to undress, but realized she couldn't get the corset off by herself. She looked up at Erik when he took her hand and saw that he was staring back at her.

"Walk with me?" he said when he started walking towards the back of the ship.

She followed, both because she was interested and because he still had a hold on her hand. After a few steps down the ship Erik decided to speak.

"Why did you believe that my intentions were to bed you and nothing else?" he asked.

Christine looked up at him and could feel a blush rushing to her cheeks and she couldn't hide it. She didn't know what to say so the only thing she did was, "I'm a dancer. That is usually the only thing men want from me."

"Has any man ever taken you?" he asked, he knew it was inappropriate, but he really wanted to know.

Christine was shocked by the question, but she slowly shook her head. "I never allowed a man to touch me. I always wanted my future husband to be my first."

"Then why did you agree to come with me?"

"My father had already made the deal with you, so it was too late. Also he promised me that we would no longer be in debt and we could have new lives."

"Did you really hate your life? You seemed happy to be on that stage."

"I was. I love dancing. But what really made me decide was the fact that my father hated his life. He hated having to give away all of his fine clothing and jewels. When it got to the point of having to give up my mother's things, I could see a part of him die inside."

"I'm sorry. When did she die?"

"She died when I was very young. I barely remember her."

"My mother died shortly after I was born. She had a type of cancer that luckily didn't travel to me while I was in her womb. My father has been my only family all my life."

Both of them felt the need to say they were sorry for each other's loss, but neither said anything as it wouldn't bring them back or even matter. Neither of them remembered their mother so it didn't come as a factor.

They reached the back of the ship and stood by the railing looking out at the water and admiring the beauty of the night. Christine wished to see her home again; she wished she could still see France. Erik couldn't wait to reach America so he could start planning the wedding and watch Christine bond with his friends and father. He wanted so badly to be joined to her in a wedding ceremony.

Erik realized he hadn't even proposed to her yet and the box with her ring was still in his inner breast pocket, the pocket that was now on Christine's shoulders.

**xXx **

**Ooops! Erik made a mistake! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!**


	6. The Truth Comes Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or Titanic. They belong to their respective owners. **

**A/N: You have no idea how sorry I am for taking so long to update. I really hope this chapter was worth the wait and I want to thank my sister for helping me write this chapter. **

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**Unsinkable**

Chapter 6: The Truth Comes Out

**xXx**

Erik hadn't thought the whole proposal all the way through. If he did, things would have gone a lot differently. As Christine and he walked along the deck back to the doors and heated rooms he started planning a way to get the ring from her and then propose.

He wasn't sure how she was going to react and he was looking forward to the surprise that would most likely occur on her face. He wanted to give her a compliment or some inkling that he adored her and he thought he might as well tell her the first time he saw her.

"I came to France for business and after I met up with my newest customer I decided to indulge myself in something pleasurable. Music has always been my favorite subject. If I wasn't obligated to follow in my father's footsteps and be an architect I would have been a composer. That night I went to the opera house to watch Carmen and I swear I almost stormed out after hearing Senora Carlotta's voice. The noise that erupted from those lips made me want to cover my ears." He said with a soft chuckle.

Erik looked at Christine and saw the small smile of appreciation on her face. She looked like she was about to laugh.

"I never understood why the audience adored her. Her voice was just piercing and during rehearsals I could see some of the stagehands and maids stuffing their ears with something so they couldn't hear her. I was tempted, but the managers would have caught me." She said softly.

"The only reason I didn't leave was because the ballet had started and that's when I saw you." Her face turned up towards him and her eyes widened. "You had the grace and beauty of all the dancers on that stage, but something about you made me… entranced. I knew I had to meet you."

"Why didn't you introduce yourself then?" she asked as they walked into the warm hallways away from the chill.

"I was going to, but your father brushed by me backstage and took your attention before I could." Her shaking had stopped, but she was becoming captivated by his story and wasn't willing to give back his coat. "After over hearing the conversation you two were having about your financial constraints I knew I had to help you."

"So you thought you could help us by taking us away from our home and using me as your bed warmer?" She had gone from a wide eyed beauty that was wrapped in his story to an upset girl with a tightening of her lips and a cold stare.

Erik knew this was a better time than ever to tell her the truth, but before he could say anything she continued.

"I promised myself when my father was losing his business that I would earn money and get us back on our feet, but I would never sell my body for food or money. I guess I can't even keep a promise to myself."

Erik knew she was going deeper into a spiral of anger and hurt and he had to stop her. "Christine…"

"Don't try and make me feel better. It's not going to work." She said cutting him off and suddenly walking at a faster pace and heading to the room without him.

Erik tried to catch up to her without making a scene, but she was really fast. Before he could turn the corner to the hallway where their room was she was already heading into the room. Erik looked around and noticed there weren't many people around so he ran all the way to the room and opened the door.

Christine wasn't in the sitting room or on the deck and he noticed her door was closed again. He sighed heavily and walked over to the door, before he knocked he heard small sighs and weeping noises. He suddenly felt very guilty and just wanted to make her tears go away.

"Christine, please listen to what I have to say." Erik said after he knocked lightly on the door.

He heard a sniffling noise inside and could picture her face and eyes blotched and swollen red from crying and he just wanted to kiss her face and calm her fears and sadness.

"I don't want to hear it." her soft voice spoke with a thickness from crying.

He wanted a chance and he knew the only thing he could do was show her. He closed his eyes and exhaled from his nostrils. "You don't have to listen. Just… look inside the breast pocket of my coat."

"Why?" Christine asked suddenly confused. She looked at the coat that she had thrown on the floor before crawling into bed.

"Just do it." he said softly from the other side of the door.

Christine hesitantly got off the bed and headed over to the wrinkled coat. She lifted it and it still felt cold from the harsh night air. She slowly reached into the pocket as if there was a loaded gun inside or something that could do her harm.

When her hand covered something small and felt like soft velvet she lifted it out wide eyed and was faced with a jewelry box. Even though she hadn't had money for a long time she still recognized an engagement ring box in front of her. Her heart was beating wildly and she was hesitant to open it as if it wouldn't exist if she didn't look at the stones inside.

After curiosity took over her fingers pried open the box and she was faced with the most beautiful engagement ring she had ever seen. None of her rich female admirers from the opera had had a ring as glamorous as this one. The jewelry Carlotta adorned on stage in Il Muto was nothing compared to this beauty. The blue diamond surrounded by clear smaller ones on a silver band was the engagement ring she had envisioned on her finger since she was a child. After going into poverty and working at the opera she had thrown that dream away and thought she would end up with a bare finger for no one would want her.

The silence had rung out long enough and Erik waited, standing at the bedroom door. He heard her unlock the door and open it and he hoped she had a smile on her face. He was disappointed. Christine's eyes were wide again and her mouth hung open as if she wanted to ask a question, but couldn't get it off her tongue. Her face was paler than usual and the tears had finally stopped falling.

"I… I don't understand." Christine asked after finally finding her voice.

"I have to admit that I wanted you since the moment I first saw you. After realizing what your life has handed you and the generosity and sacrifice you have given, I have never respected anyone more. I have wanted a wife that matched me in everything from determination to interests. From what I know of you now, I know that we have a lot in common. I hope I can learn more about you for the rest of my life. Give me that chance." Right in the doorway he went down on one knee and looked up into her eyes with longing and faith in a higher power that could grant him with happiness. "Marry me, Christine."

Yes or No. Those were her two choices.

She was jumping to say no because she didn't know this man, she wasn't in love with him and from what she had construed in her mind about this man was that he wanted her as his mistress which habitually made her his whore. She wished that she could say no, but there were so many reasons for her to say yes.

She was already heading to his homeland and her father had already agreed to it. From what Erik just said, he feels more for her than just her looks and he wants to get to know her more. Christine had to admit that she found him attractive when she first saw him and had the fleeting thought of marrying him, but brushed it away as she knew that wouldn't happen.

Her mind was torn and she didn't know what to say. She looked down where Erik was still kneeling at her feet patiently and she couldn't give him an answer. She wanted to make her own decisions and she wanted to have the right to say no, but she wasn't completely sure if she wanted to say no. She wanted to get to know Erik more as well and maybe she would fall in love with him. She could see in his eyes that he felt the same way.

"Christine, I don't want to rush your decision, but I am begging to find out what is going on inside your head." Erik said, breaking through her indecision.

She looked up at the grandfather clock behind Erik and saw that five minutes had passed since he asked her. He must have been going crazy waiting for an answer. She knew that she was still unsure, but she had to give him something.

"I… can I… think about it?" she blurted out between shaky breaths. The disappointed look on his face and the bow of his head in defeat made her continue. "It's not a no. Just give me a little more time. I want to get to know you better before I make a decision."

His face lifted to hers and his lips turned up into a half smile before standing to his full height. "I can be patient. Take all the time you need." He said softly before turning to go to his room.

Christine looked down at the ring still in her hand and stood there until she heard the door to Erik's bedroom close. She walked back into her room and closed the door before setting the ring on the bedside table and heading over to her trunk.

She opened the top and looked down at her meager clothing and accessories. She found her jewelry box in the corner under some dresses and lifted it out. She opened it to find all the jewelry her mother maintained that she couldn't sell and some trinkets that she had that were not worth selling. She found the plain silver chain that belonged to her mother that didn't have anything hanging off of it as decoration so she took the engagement ring from its box and put it on the chain before clasping it to her neck. The large ring hung just below the top of her dress out of view and between her breasts. It would be safe there and she would always have access to it if she needed to.

A few minutes later the maid came in to undress her and help her into a nightgown. After the maid left Christine climbed into her bed and fell asleep with the ring safely placed against her heart.

**xXx **

**Thank you for all the reviews and followers of this story. Please keep it up and continue leaving comments. They make me very happy.**

**I know this was a really short chapter and a long wait, but please be patient and I will try to get the next one up quickly!**

**Also I made a cover for this story and you should be able to see it. I know it is really small, but it is a newspaper clipping of The Titanic that I put pictures of Erik and Christine on to show they were passengers on the unsinkable ship. Hope you like it!**


	7. Getting to Know Each Other

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or Titanic. I am just borrowing aspects of them for entertainment purposes. **

**A/N: Got inspired! Titanic was on HBO earlier and it got me in the mood to write. Hope you enjoy!**

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 7: Getting to Know Each Other

**xXx**

The next morning was not at all awkward as Erik had expected. He woke early and had tea and biscuits brought to the room so Christine could enjoy the privacy of the deck outside the sitting room. She had emerged from her bedroom shortly after breakfast was brought as if the smell had woken her.

She was wearing a red dress that she had brought along with her. It was worn and had patches at the bottom as if she had caught it on something sharp a couple times. It was a cheap dress so it didn't require a corset and was tied in the front with thick string. She had let her hair down and it fell across her shoulders and down to her waist in soft curls. Erik wanted to comb his fingers through her thick locks.

"Hello Erik." She said as she entered the deck where a round table sat with two seats.

Erik was already seated with a cup in hand and a blank sheet of paper in front of him and a pencil in his other hand. He looked up the moment she spoke his name and placed his cup down and stood.

"Good morning Christine. I hope you slept well." He said guiding her towards the seat opposite his.

"I did, thank you." She said as she sat and poured herself a cup of hot tea.

Erik had generously pushed her chair in and sat back down in his chair. After taking a small sip Christine looked up and saw that he was staring at her.

"I have been thinking a lot about what you said last night and I would enjoy learning more about you. I know you want to know more about me so I will answer any questions that you have." He said earnestly.

"Alright. I have had one question on my mind since I first saw you. You mentioned your mother had cancer while you were in her womb. Is that why you wear that mask? Did her sickness affect you?" She asked looking into his eyes instead of at the mask, hoping it wouldn't further anger him.

"I understand why that would be your first question. It always is." He said with sadness and his eyes downcast. "My mother did have a sickness, but that was not the main reason for the mask. She also smoked and drank regularly without realizing she was pregnant. That resulted in a horrible distortion on this side of my face." He said as he pointed at the mask.

"I'm sorry." Christine said, not knowing what else to say.

"We all have things we are ashamed of. This is mine." He said, gesturing to the stark whiteness of his mask and what lay beneath.

Before Christine could say anything, Erik continued. "I feel uncomfortable talking about it. Let's talk of happier times. What was your childhood like?"

Christine took a bite of her biscuit to make time to gather her thoughts.

"I had a pretty normal childhood for a girl without a mother. My father made sure to be everything for me. He didn't want me to miss anything. He brought me to the theater, taught me how to play the violin and the piano. He got me my own horse when I was ten."

"He must have been very busy with a business and taking care of you like that." Erik said with great gratitude.

"He always made time for me. Sometimes I think maybe he still would have a thriving business if he had spent more time focusing on that instead of me." She said with the same expression Erik had when talking about his mask.

Erik didn't like seeing her ashamed so he averted the conversation. "My father bought me a horse when I was fifteen. He was a large black stallion that I named Caesar. I still have him, but he is getting very old. When we get to America I will introduce you two." He said with a small smile.

"Caesar? At least you gave your horse a real name. Mine was a pure white pony that I named Snow." She said with a soft chuckle.

"Well, Snow is very fitting." He said keeping his eyes on her as she giggled and blushed from embarrassment. "I named my horse Caesar because at the time my tutor was educating me on the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar."

She had looked up at him as he talked of history and frowned in confusion. She had never learned much history or science so she didn't know the story of Julius Caesar. Instead of asking who he was Christine brought up a subject she knew very well. "You said you enjoy music. Was Carmen the first play you ever saw?" she asked referring to the play that had started their relationship.

"I only saw a couple plays when I was younger, none that were worth remembering. The music was excellent, but I fear I have bad luck with going to the theater and hearing a decent voice. Carlotta was my last straw." He said putting his tea down for the last time.

"Maybe your luck will change." Christine said softly.

Before Erik could ask her what she meant a tired looking Benjamin emerged from the sitting room onto the deck and smiled.

"Ah, I knew I heard voices out here. Good morning Monsieur." He said with a slight bow of his head in Erik's direction.

"Monsieur Daaé, please call me Erik." He said.

"Only if you call me Benjamin." He said back. "Good morning Darling." He said turning to Christine and placing a fatherly kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning Father." She said returning a smile.

"What have you two been talking about out here?" he said taking a china cup and pouring him tea.

Erik and Christine looked at each other before Erik said, "Just getting well acquainted."

It seemed that Benjamin didn't want to bring up last night where Christine made a fool of them all in front of complete strangers at dinner. The rest of breakfast was left in silence until a maid knocked on the door to help Christine change into something more appropriate for her new status.

"But, these are the only dresses I brought." Christine said looking down at her simple dress.

"Don't worry. I procured a selection of dresses for you before this trip. I hope you will find them to your liking." Erik said as he stood to give a slight bow to her.

"Erik, that is too much. You don't need to buy me anything." Christine said looking grateful, but trying to hold back her excitement.

"You better get used to me buying you things. Now go change and we will continue our conversation up on deck." He said before leaving the room.

**xXx**

Christine had thought Erik would have one or two dresses for her, but when she opened the closet it was filled with gorgeously made dresses of all colors and styles. It took Christine ten minutes to admire each one and pick one out for the day.

When she got up on deck she didn't see Erik anywhere so she just started walking in one direction until she saw Erik sitting on a bench against the outer wall writing things down on a piece of paper. As Christine got closer she realized he wasn't writing, but drawing. She thought it looked like an outline of space, but couldn't look at it for long because Erik had looked up and saw her.

He was pleased with her attire and smiled slightly before putting his drawing away and standing.

"What was that you were drawing?" Christine asked pointing to his sketch book.

"Oh, just sketches for my new project. My newest client wants me to build him a museum in Paris. I had everything all made up and he just wants me to make a few changes." Erik was irritated that the man didn't like the perfection of Erik's work, but the customer is the one that will be standing in it every day, not him.

"Wow, a museum. A museum of history? Art? Science?" Christine asked, with an interested look.

"He told me it was a museum of classical art." Erik told her.

"I love art. I could walk through a gallery and get lost for hours in the world's the painter creates." She said with a faraway expression.

"I have always been a big admirer of Monet and Picasso." Erik explained. "I love landscapes, but I also enjoy the abstract cubism of Picasso's work."

"Staring at a Monet just makes me want to enjoy nature while it lasts. It is so peaceful and beautiful and people take it for granted. I have always dreamed of meeting Picasso, just to find out what is going on in his head. His paintings are so strange, but inspiring."

"I can't wait for you to see my home. I have paintings lining every wall. Monet, Picasso, Metcalf, Whistler. Basically anything that caught my eye. Where I live is a walk away from the largest park in New York. You can enjoy nature as much as you want." Erik said looking down at her with a smile.

"You are too kind." Christine said lightly blushing, with her head down.

She started to really like the gentlemen walking beside her. At first she admired his looks and was curiously intrigued by the mask. Now as she was starting to get to know him and learn that they have more in common than she had originally thought, she started to think it wouldn't be so bad to be his wife. Most married couples were put together arranged and barely knew each other. Christine liked that she was given the chance to know her fiancé before getting married. All she had to do now is get the courage to say yes to his proposal.

They had started walking down the ship in no particular direction, enjoying the smells of the ocean and the noises of the ship moving against the current. The silence between them was comfortable, but Erik wanted to keep talking and get to know his, hopefully, soon-to-be bride.

"How did you get into the opera business? Don't get me wrong, you are a lovely dancer, but usually the company hires well trained dancers. Did you take dancing lessons before getting the title of lead dancer?" Erik asked. He always found it interesting that a lady from a well off family got a job as a dancer, especially becoming the lead dancer in such a short period of time.

"I have been dancing since I was young. It was always just for fun around the house, but one night my father and I went to the opera to watch a play and that is when I saw Meg Giry. After the show I told my father I wanted to meet her because she was such a wonderful dancer and so graceful. My father acquiesced and we went backstage. Meg and I became fast friends after I complimented her dancing and she complimented my dress and hair. Her mother is the dance instructor and soon enough my father, Madame Giry, Meg and I became inseparable." Christine looked down to the ground and Erik could see she was trying to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. She resisted the urge to let them fall and when she got them at bay she looked back up. "Madame Giry had seen the love I had for dancing and would allow me to sit in on practices once in a while."

When my father's business died, I knew I had to get money coming in and I asked Madame Giry if there was an opening in the ballet. Lucky for me one of the dancers had fallen ill and they needed me to cover the one night. Soon to find out the dancer got pregnant and wasn't allowed to come back to the stage. I officially had a full time position there."

"How did you become the lead dancer?" Erik asked.

A light blush was brought to her cheeks and Erik had no idea why. "I have to confess…" Christine started to say "I am not the lead dancer, Meg is. She had come down with the flu and was forced into bed rest. I was put in her place and became the lead dancer for a week. Meg was supposed to come back later this week and take her position. I enjoyed the title of lead dancer so I liked that everyone thought I was, including you, and I liked saying I was." She looked back up at Erik to see his reaction.

He was smiling. A laugh came forth from his lips and Christine admired the sound of it. _'He wasn't angry for being fooled? He wasn't disappointed that he found a fraud?_' Christine waited for his laughter to die down and he looked at her with appreciation.

"You're not upset?" Christine asked.

"Of course I'm not upset. I think it is adorable that you enjoyed dancing so much that you loved the title of lead dancer." He said with a smile still present on his face.

"I did love dancing. I still do. I wish that I could continue when we get to New York. Could that be possible?" She asked with hope in her voice.

"I think that can be arranged." He said sweetly. Most men in his society liked to keep their wives unemployed and at home, but from the look on her face he knew he couldn't do that to her. "There is an opera house in New York that I believe would be lucky to have you."

"Really?" Christine asked, clapping with glee.

"I will not make my wife sit at home all day with nothing to do." He caught on the fact that he had said wife too late and he quickly saved himself. "That is if you decide to stay with me."

Christine was sure that she wanted to be with him, but she wanted more time. "That could be arranged." She said stealing the words he had said only moments before.

Now with a new found hope Erik took her arm and they continued to walk down the deck in the sunny, cool day.

**xXx**

**Thank you all my readers for still reading and enjoying. The next chapter will be a little more… intimate. Please leave a review. **

**Music Within is up next!**


	8. Consumed by Fire

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or Titanic. They belong to their respective owners. I am just using them for entertainment purposes.**

**A/N: This took me so long to finish. I am so sorry! It was just impossible for me to get inspired. My sister and I share a laptop and she is writing stories on fictionpress. Anytime that I get the computer I am not in the mood to write so yesterday I got it all day and I got most of it out of the way! Hope you enjoy this chapter and it was worth the wait. **

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 8: Consumed by Fire

**xXx **

Christine was abruptly woken by a soft knock on her bedroom door. She had been having a pleasant dream of singing on the glorious opera house stage back in France, taking Carlotta's role in Faust and singing in a light blue, flowing dress in front of hundreds of patrons. She was in the middle of singing the aria called the Jewel Song, her voice echoing off the walls and ceiling, when the knock came.

She wondered who could be knocking on her door so late and realized it could be her father coming back from drinking and talking politics with the other high class men. Christine couldn't see a clock nearby so she guessed it was around midnight from the moonlight coming in from her window. She quickly climbed out of bed and grabbed a robe draped over the back of a nearby chair. She wrapped it around her body before opening the door to let her father in.

When she opened the door though, it wasn't her father. It was Erik.

She immediately looked down at herself and realized how bad she looked. Her robe was hanging off her body in a wrinkled mess and wasn't tied, showing off her thin nightgown underneath. Her hair was tangled and untamed on her head from tossing and turning earlier in the night. She didn't have make-up on or anything to cover the circles under her eyes. She started to try and fix her hair by combing her fingers through it.

"Erik? Is everything alright?" she said, concerned. _'Why would Erik be at my door at …four in the morning?' _Christine thought when she looked at the grandfather clock against the wall in the sitting area.

"I have a surprise for you." He said looking her up and down and smiling, as if the whole thing was amusing.

"It can't wait for a decent hour?" Christine asked, she knew it was rude to talk like that, but she just wanted to hide from him and go back to sleep to finish her nice dream.

"Actually, no. The earlier, the better." He said, not taken back by her question. He knew that question would come and he was slightly sorry to have to take her out of bed so early. But once she found out what the surprise was she would forget all about the time.

"Hold on. Just let me change and I will be out in… ten minutes." Christine said, going to close the door.

"Wear something comfortable." He said, as a side note.

"Alright." She said, closing the door. As quickly as her tired brain would allow, she headed over to the chest at the end of her bed.

She opened the top of her chest and pulled out a blue skirt and white blouse. She got them on with no problem and tucked the blouse into her skirt to show off her slim figure. She grabbed comfortable slippers and put them on before heading over to her vanity. She made sure not to wear any jewelry because it would just weigh her down and started applying eye shadow and blush, putting on a little bit of concealer to cover the circles under her eyes. She grabbed her brush and roughly brushed it through her unruly hair, trying to make it somewhat decent. She grabbed her best perfume and sprayed it behind her ears and on her wrists. She took another bottle that looked like perfume and sprayed it in her mouth to mask her morning breath.

When she finished making herself presentable she opened the door to see Erik sitting in one of the comfortable chairs. When he saw her he quickly got up and gave her his dazzling smile again. She loved seeing him smile and loved being the reason for his happiness.

"You look beautiful." He said, taking her hand and kissing it.

She felt her cheeks turning pink and believed he was just being nice; she was after all wearing clothes fit for the lower class. She thanked him before they were out the door and heading down the hall. As they walked past different cabins with sleeping passengers Christine became curious as to where they were going, but Erik wasn't willing to give anything away. She walked by his side feeling as if she was trespassing; being out of their room before the sun even woke.

All the lights were very dim and made it difficult to see. When they reached the staircase everything was much clearer from the large glass dome that made the ceiling. The light of the moon illuminated everything and gave it nice white glow. Erik took her hand and guided her down the steps of the grand staircase towards the dining room.

They walked past all the unoccupied tables, with plate settings already set, where all of the high class passengers would sit for their dinner later in the day. They passed through into another room that was used for the earlier meals. There was another, smaller, dome that brought that white radiance into the room and made it easier to see everything. All the chairs and tables that were dispersed around the room earlier were now against the walls and an empty space was left in the middle of the room.

Christine had no idea why Erik had brought her here. The room was still set up as an after dinner ballroom. The waiters and cooks wouldn't be awake this early, so what was the reason for coming? Christine turned to ask him, but he wasn't beside her anymore.

She looked around and caught sight of him in the corner on her left. He stood with his back facing her and she saw he was caressing the top of a large Grand Piano. Christine took the opportunity to admire his form again.

He had decided to go half formal, half casual. He was wearing his white collared shirt; open at the neck, without a tie and his form fitting black pants and shoes. He had a black coat made of velvet that hung down to his ankles and had a beaded design on the back. The coat was perfectly tailored to his body so it showed off his nice trim waist and thick shoulders. He had a wonderful body, lean with muscle, tall, but not gangly, and his structure looked to be carved by angels. Not one imperfection, besides the mask.

When his voice echoed off the walls of the room she drew her eyes from his body to pay attention to what he was saying.

"I brought you here because it is the perfect setting." He explained. He turned to face her, finally, and he had a pleased look on his face.

Christine was still unsure of what he meant and walked up to him slowly to ask him the reason why they were here. "Perfect setting for what?" she said, looking around the room, muddled.

"You miss dancing. You miss being on the stage. I know this isn't exactly a stage, but it should be large enough. It seemed fitting to have the most magnificent dancer dance on the most magnificent ship." He said looking at her in wonder.

Christine received praise from many handsome bachelors at the opera and was able to handle the compliments. When Erik spoke of her talent she became overwhelmed and exceedingly thrilled. She felt like a child getting a prize for being good. His appreciation made her soul soar.

Christine was so flustered that she spoke unwisely, "But, there's no music."

Erik seized his opportunity and took a seat on the slick black piano bench. He stretched his fingers before placing them on the black and white keys and started to lightly play a tune he remembered from when he was young. It was from one of the plays he saw as a boy and he had immediately known how to play it. He got many praise from his exceptional ability and it encouraged him to continue playing.

He looked over at Christine to see her still in the same place, watching him. When he motioned to the open space, she took her queue with a gracious smile, and slipped her shoes off before heading over to the middle of the room with a skip in her step.

When he started playing the song from the beginning again, Christine started to move to the music, as graceful as a swan. Erik watched her move with poise and beauty and admired every move her legs, arms and hips made. She twirled on her tiptoes and danced around with surety that she wouldn't trip over her own feet. As he neared the peak of the song, her hips swayed in a tempting way making Erik want to go over to her and press his hands and body against her. Erik started to regret surprising her with the dance; she was teasing him with her seductive style.

Erik changed the song he was playing, hoping it would elicit a different dancing style. He started to play a song of his own creation.

When Erik moved out of his father's home he bought a house fit for a large family and the first thing he purchased was a piano. He was usually always busy with his father's business and drawing up blueprints, but the idea of owning such a beautiful instrument made him feel at peace. On nights where he couldn't sleep and didn't want to continue working he would go to his music room and start playing. After a while he started composing his own songs and stitching them together into a story.

He hadn't worked on writing lyrics yet. He had the idea of it being a dark love story, but couldn't figure out the perfect wording. He had just finished composing the song he was playing so it was fresh in his mind.

As Erik was playing the beginning notes of the song, Christine was changing her dancing style. She had been skipping around the room in a fluid motion and had to brusquely change to soft, calm movements as if she were gliding on water.

Christine faltered when Erik had suddenly changed the song. She sensed the type of song it was and established the type of dancing to use with it. She understood from the sweet, soft playing that it was a love song and full of desire. The song was so beautiful and captivating that Christine didn't realize that she started to create the words in her head and sing them out loud.

"**Say you'll love me every waking moment**

**Turn my head with talk of summer time**

**Say you need me with you now and always**

**Promise me that all you say is true**

**That's all I ask of you"**

Christine had come up with the perfect words for the love song and she hoped that Erik had similar feelings. She took a quick peak at Erik and saw he was captivated by her voice.

Erik sat at the piano watching Christine move around in the open space gracefully and when she opened her mouth to sing he almost fell off the bench. He had never heard a voice as beautiful as hers. Every time he went to see an opera or play in his life he had never found a voice that was as clear and extraordinary as Christine's. Comparing to her voice all the other women sounded like peacocks getting strangled.

He continued playing, pretending that he wasn't surprised. He wanted to hear more of her beautiful voice and if he stopped playing she would stop singing. It took all of his strength to keep his fingers moving along the keys and not just stare at her in wonder. To Erik's delight Christine continued the words that mirrored his hopes and dreams of a future with her.

"**Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime**

**Say the word and I will follow you**

**Say you love me…"**

Erik and Christine's eyes both turned to look at each other and for a moment nothing was sung and nothing was played. The emotion in her voice and in his eyes felt like a stab in the gut. When the last notes of the song fell into silence, the spark that existed between them was now a full out blaze. The atmosphere around them became palpable with tension.

Erik stood from the piano bench, slowly as if he were the predator stalking his prey. At the same time Christine took a step closer to him longing for his touch. They were so tangled in each other that they didn't notice three very tired crewmen walking through the doors.

"Excuse me?" the man said, with a startled expression. "We need to get this room ready for breakfast."

Erik and Christine reluctantly turned from each other to address the man whose voice had interrupted their private moment. They instantly were thrown off by the company.

Christine was disappointed that they were interrupted. She didn't get the chance to tell Erik everything she was thinking. She wished to tell him that she enjoyed the surprise and felt she was connected to him as if she knew him her whole life when it had only been two days. The fact that she felt that way meant something special was coming together. She also wanted to tell him that she craved his touch, every gentle stroke of his hand or brush of his lips on her hand was not enough.

Erik was disappointed with the invasion also and all he wanted to do was shut the workers out of the room and continue what Christine and he were heading towards. He wished that they had never arrived so that they could be in that moment forever. He was starting to feel much deeper feelings towards her that he had never had for anyone in his life. He wanted to be more than a gentleman; he wanted to be a man that she couldn't resist.

They were still on opposite ends of the room and the workers were impatiently waiting for them to leave. They had no idea what they had disturbed and that made Erik even more furious. Christine grabbed her slippers and hurriedly put them on. Erik stepped away from the piano, irritated. He guided Christine from the room with a hand on the small of her back.

Just as they were leaving, Erik turned to look down at Christine and she had her head bent and her hair was tucked behind her ear so he could see that her cheeks were turning a pale pink. Erik thought maybe it was from the exertion of singing and dancing moments earlier, but she didn't have a beaded forehead. Erik was still astounded by her voice and the perfect lyrics she had created. He listened to her singing in his head over and over again.

Christine didn't want the moment to end, even though their fire had been doused in cold water. She didn't want to return to their cabin and suffer through awkward silence and her father's polite conversation. She wanted to stay by Erik's side for the rest of the day and relish in his touch and voice. When they got to America she would tell him her decision.

Little did she know that arriving in America was not going to be a peaceful voyage for much longer. Something would happen to alter her future.

**xXx **

**The song used is: All I Ask of You by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Sung by Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson. I only used the lyrics Emmy Rossum (Christine) sings. **

**Please leave a comment or review!**

**A/N: I am coming to the end of Infinite Love so I am going to be working on that alone. I will update another chapter to this story as soon as I finish Infinite Love.**


	9. Want

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or Titanic. I only own some ideas and characters that are unrecognizable. The rest belongs to their respective owners.**

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**A/N: Here it is! It took me forever to finish Infinite Love. I just didn't want it to end and now that it is I am working on this and Music Within. Win a Weekend with Christine Day will be uploaded once one of these stories is over! Hope you enjoy this chapter and please review!**

**Oh and just in case you guys have no idea what day it is in the story (I actually had to go back and calculate) this chapter is Friday, April 12. We have until Sunday night/Monday morning – April 14****th****/15th for the sinking. This is going a lot slower than I imagined lol. **

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 9: Want

**xXx**

Two very different notions were running through Erik and Christine's awareness all day.

After they left the "ballroom" all Erik wanted to do was huddle into a corner and kick himself repeatedly. He ruined any relationship he may have been developing with Christine because of his abrupt and intense display of passion. After watching her dance, with such grace, around the room he heard her sing. That voice… that was the voice that he had dreamed about, the voice he had hoped to hear each and every time he went to the opera and was disenchanted. The lyrics had come straight from her thoughts and they had come out perfectly in tune with the sound he created. In the moment he shamelessly stood and felt the heat run through his body and explode through his veins. He had looked at Christine and saw she had stepped closer, but there was something in her eyes hidden that he had seen many times as a child, fear. But this was a different kind of fear, a fear he didn't understand. When they were interrupted he had pressed his hand to her back to guide her out of the room. He was surprised she allowed him to touch her at all and didn't recoil from his hand.

Christine had left the ballroom flushed from embarrassment. They had been caught by some workmen who came in to set the room up for breakfast. She had just taken a step closer to Erik and saw the fire in his eyes, a fire that she knew if she wasn't careful could consume her. There was something in the back of her mind that said she should fear him, but the rest of her body just wanted to trust him and be held by him. The thoughts that were running through her mind were just as heated as Erik's, but she didn't know what to do about them. When they were headed back to their room Christine just wanted to spend more time with him, she didn't want to be separated from him. She just wanted to get that moment back.

The rest of the morning had been awkward for them both. Strangely it was the first time they had felt awkward around each other. Erik was sure she wanted to reject his physical touch, but that was the farthest thing from Christine's mind. She wanted to talk about what happened and possibly have a second chance at getting close with no interruptions. They had spent that morning walking around up on deck exchanging thoughts on the weather and other nonsense topics in between uncomfortable silences.

Thankfully after lunch Erik had started to open up again and they began talking about their past and their interests and hobbies. They learned that they had more in common than before, it seemed every time they started a conversation it ended with more evidence that they were meant for each other. They both grew up living in a city, Erik in New York and Christine in Paris. Both parents had owned their own businesses, Benjamin had owned an instrument shop and provided service to a variety of musicians until a new company had emerged and taken all his prized customers. Erik's father owned the Dreaser Architectural Company, taking over the country by storm. They talked about what they did when they were younger and they both had spent a lot of time with their horses in the barn or sitting in the soft grass of a nearby meadow. Just outside of the big city Erik lived in there was grassy hills and endless emptiness, much different from the cobblestones and large buildings of the city. Christine couldn't wait to see the place that he had spent most of his time thinking, hoping it would remind her of the place she had left behind. Apart from that, they both loved to read, listen to music, and go for walks in the rain. They learned that they had read a lot of the same books, Les Miserables, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Hunchback of Notre Dame and Frankenstein. They went on to talk about the horror of Frankenstein's monster, the tragedy and love that were intertwined in Les Miserables and the distorted love that Quasimodo had for the gypsy girl.

Before they knew it they had spoken of everything they enjoyed, everything they feared, and everything they felt needed to be said, except for what happened that morning. By the time the horn blew announcing dinner Erik brought Christine back to the room so they could change into dinner wear. When they arrived at the ornate doors leading to the dining room they were greeted by Mr. Andrews. He always had them seated at his table; the outburst Christine had made on the first night didn't stop him from enjoying their company. The table had different guests every night, the exception of Raoul and his wife, Marguerite. Tonight held a few more countesses and their older husbands and Molly Brown. The conversation around the table had changed every time a new course was set before them, like clockwork. The first course was spent talking about the cool weather they were having at night and the need to add extra heat in their rooms. As each course went by it was another topic Christine couldn't seem to care much about. When the main course arrived the conversation changed to the delicious, filling dinner and quickly found its way to the subject of money. All the men at the table discussed how they came to having their pockets filled and it seemed they all got their allowance from their parents. Christine felt like she was surrounded by dogs fighting over the biggest piece of meat. _'Who had more money? Who had the most power?' _It was a debate to make the women feel proud of their husbands, but all Christine thought was, how could this be interesting conversation?

She just decided to think of something to keep her mind off of it and before long Erik tapped her shoulder to get her attention. She didn't know how long she had been consumed in her daydreaming of what her life could be like with Erik and the children they might have, but just from his touch she had broken from the dream like it was shattered glass.

"Would you like to be excused?" he asked, noticing her boredom.

"Yes, please." She said with a smile, trying not to laugh.

"Excuse us, gentlemen. Christine is feeling tired." Erik said as he stood from his seat and helped Christine out of her chair.

The rest of the men at the table stood politely as Christine left the table and sat back down when she turned her back to leave.

When Erik and Christine made their way up the grand staircase and down the hall towards their rooms she looked up at his profile and said, "Thank you. I don't think I could have stayed much longer listening to them debating over money."

"Yes, I could tell you were starting to get annoyed with the situation." he said back with a small, understanding smile.

Christine turned to look at him again, amazed. She thought she had been doing very well at hiding her thoughts and emotions from everyone at the table. She didn't think he would have been able to break through her deceptive shell.

Erik had noticed her surprise and continued to say, "I've noticed some things about your facial expressions. I can read people very well, even the best actresses." He looked at her for a moment to prove his point. "Your cheeks turn pink and you look down at your hands when you're nervous or embarrassed. You roll your eyes when you are upset or even just annoyed with something. You bite your lip when you are trying to hold something back and your eyes widen when you are surprised… like you are now."

When he finished they had made it to the entrance of their rooms and he opened the door to allow her to walk through.

"I didn't know you watched me so closely." She said with a nervous chuckle.

"Well, all the time we have spent together the past couple days I have had time to get to know you. So far I like what I see."

Christine had just placed her gloves on the back of a chair when she heard him speak to her in a warm, inviting caress. She timidly started to twist the ends of her gloves with her fingers, keeping her back to him. Suddenly she felt very shy and couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye; she knew if she did she would see the glowing embers in his irises.

"Your expressions aren't the only thing that gives you away."

His hands came around her to take the gloves from her shaking fingers and she jumped slightly from the power of his subtle touch. She could feel how close he was from the deep breaths he was taking. She could feel the buttons of his coat against the fabric covering her shoulders. She turned to meet his eyes finally and saw that look she knew could make her do anything.

Erik stood mere inches from her and she held her breath for a moment. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her skin and feel the heat radiating off his body through his clothes. She wanted to just lift her hand and touch him or lean closer and feel that kiss that she couldn't stop thinking about since early this morning. She could see in his eyes that that was what he wanted as well and she could see that he had been holding back all day. She didn't know why, but he looked like he was fighting with himself.

Suddenly Erik backed away and blinked away anything that might have been floating around in his mind. She saw the orange glow of desire in his eyes had disappeared when he closed them and now his irises were back to a calm blue. Even though they hadn't touched she felt the coldness of the room seep back to her as if the heat warming the room was extinguished. Without another word Erik walked across the sitting area and opened the door leading to his private room.

"Good night Christine. I hope you sleep well." He said before walking into the room and closing the door, out of sight.

Christine didn't understand him. _'First he was sweet and caring, wanting me to have a moment of happiness dancing. Next thing I know he intoxicates me with a scorching fire that makes my whole body heat with lust. Then he practically forgets it all and we are back to courting without actually being attached. Now he is back to wanting me with those passion filled eyes and just when I am about to combust he runs away?' _

Before she did something stupid like bang on his door or leave the room without her coat she marched into her room and closed the door.

**xXx**

He had been so close to pressing his lips to hers and feeling the softness of her touch. He wanted to be with her the way husbands are with their wives. He had wanted her in his bed since the moment he laid eyes on her. When he saw her on that stage for the first time, bending her body and being intimate with a male dancer, he had wanted her. After taking the time to learn and get to know her they had become much closer and those feelings he had were escalated. When she opened her mouth and sang words of promise and love to the notes of a song he had written he didn't just want her, he needed her. He tried to stop his thoughts from roaming to flashing images of them naked and tangled together in the bed sheets, but when his eyes closed it was much harder to push away.

He didn't want her to think that he only cared for her body. She had walked onto this ship thinking he wanted her for sexual intercourse and nothing else; if he were to take her body now she would believe her suspicions were correct. He couldn't take her body without her full consent and own her without her thinking the worst. Even one kiss from her would break him and he wouldn't be able to control himself. Oh… but he badly wanted her in ways only a man can want a woman.

He removed his cravat and unbuttoned his shirt fiercely as if it was suffocating him and he removed his shoes and pants just as quickly. When he stood naked in front of the tall mirror, not a stitch on, not even the mask, he cringed. The side of his face that no one saw was hideous. Mirrors couldn't lie and tell him what he wanted to see. He wished they could, it would make life easier, but he would always look upon it and feel nothing but disgust.

The rest of his body had been safe from the distortion, but because of that one ugliness he had trained and changed his body into something women would crave. He wanted to make up for the ugliness of his face by making his whole body flawless. Women ended up with men they either were arranged to marry or found attractive. He never wanted to marry someone that was forced into marrying him, but when Christine showed up in his life he couldn't resist. If his face wouldn't make women attracted to him maybe his body would. He had made every part of his body muscular, fit, and toned to perfection. He had a fitness room installed in his new home and he had pushed his body to become what it was now. Now as he looked at it he only saw the fight he made against his distortion. All the sweat and blood he put into making his body this way was all for not, he no longer thought his body would be something women would yearn for.

He quickly put on a new set of clothes and quietly opened his bedroom door. He didn't see Christine and assumed she had retired to her room for the night and for that he was thankful. He quickly passed her door as quietly as he could and left the suite.

As he walked past the Grand Staircase he saw women walked up the steps to their rooms and men heading to a back room to talk politics and smoke cigars. He saw Christine's father talking to the Count DeChagny as they headed into the men's lounge, but Erik had none of that in mind and headed up to the deck.

When he reached the outdoors he felt the chill of the air on his once heated skin and could see his breath in white clouds. Before the chill could make him retreat inside, he headed towards a room that was surrounded by windows and entered. It was dark inside, but the light of the moon brightened the space as much as the sun would in the daytime and he saw that it was empty, most likely for the night. He had noticed the room in passing while he was talking to Christine the morning after he proposed and had yet to venture in.

He looked upon different fitness equipment that was bolted down to the floor, after years of straining himself, he couldn't stop. It was like an addiction. The only thing that could make him stop was a woman's approval. He quickly removed his cravat, suit coat and shoes and placed them to the side by the door. The good thing about being alone was he didn't have to wear his full attire like society demanded. He could remove a few layers so he didn't ruin his clothing from the workout.

He started with the stationary bicycle to get the muscles in his thighs moving and after a while he moved on to the rowing. After a few more workout sessions and the tightening of his muscles became too much he relaxed. He hadn't watched the time and just kept working at his obsession until he was out of breath. He knew he had been there for a few hours, but he didn't know exactly how long. He looked out the windows to see it was still dark, much darker than before as if the stroke of midnight had made the sky go from dark blue to black. He grabbed his shoes and laced them on before putting his jacket on and wrapping his cravat around his neck without tying it.

He headed out into the cold weather and noticed it was much colder than before. Without the sun out warming the world it was unusually freezing for Spring. He walked back into the 1st class area and headed down the hall towards his room. When he opened the door he immediately noticed Christine sitting on the small couch with a book open in her hand.

She looked up in surprise and was taken aback by his sweat beaded forehead and untied cravat. She set her book aside and said, "Are you alright? I thought you were still in your room." She pointed towards his private rooms.

"No… I headed to the… fitness area. I needed to get a workout in today."

All he wanted to do was escape into the bathroom and clean himself off. But with Christine sitting in the dark with only one light shining on her she looked like an angel had dropped down from heaven. He feared if he left her sight or even blinked she would disappear.

Unsure of where to go from there, Erik looked down at the book she had just been reading and asked "What are you reading?"

Christine looked down at the book and wondered what he would think of her for reading it. She didn't want him to think she was just another childish girl. They had talked earlier about books they had read growing up and she had told him she read many classics, but she had kept this one out. Now that he was asking she couldn't lie. She knew she should have read in her room, but she wanted to sit on the comfortable chairs out in the open space and be able to look out the window at the night. She realized she hadn't answered his question and he was waiting.

"It's um… Grimm's Fairy Tales." She said shyly. To hopefully get some dignity back she continued, "It was my mother's. One of the few possessions I got to keep." She looked up at him again and was grateful that he didn't look like he wanted to judge. He didn't even look surprised more… interested.

Instead of heading to the bathroom to clean the sweat off, he walked closer and sat beside her. The couch was small enough to only fit two people and it must have been meant for people to sit quite close. He couldn't help himself from brushing his leg against her skirts. He looked down at the book she had moved to her lap and read the calligraphic words that were printed into the leather binding. The pages looked worn and yellow from age and there were marks and rips on the leather from years of use.

"Which story are you reading?" he asked curiously.

Christine opened the book to where she had left a strip of paper as a marker and on the top of the page it read Rapunzel. She didn't have to speak it out loud since Erik could see the painting of a woman sitting at the top of a tower with hair that reached the grass below and a man was climbing the golden locks like it was rope.

"It was my mother's favorite story." Christine said in a whisper.

Erik wondered why she was speaking in such a low voice and looked to see she had a tear falling down her cheek. _'She never knew her mother, but her father must have spoken of her often. She must feel like she is lost without her.'_ Erik thought.

He put his arm around her and let her lean on him for a moment. He could feel the tears she shed pool on his already wet shirt, but he didn't mind. He just wanted to be able to comfort her. As his cheek rested on the top of her head he could smell the fragrance of her natural scent through her hair and noticed that some of her hair was still a bit damp. She had bathed while he was gone and she was free of the perfume she usually wore. He inhaled the heavenly scent of soap and Christine and marveled in the comfort of being beside her.

"I hope you don't think I am some weak girl that cries over little things." Christine said quietly against his shoulder.

"Not having a mother is not something little. When I was younger I used to cry over the loss of my mother I never knew. A lost parent is a lot to cry about. Don't apologize." He said into her ear, reassuringly.

"I'm not crying over my mother." She said leaning off of him and wiping the tears away from her face. At Erik's confused look she said, "I'm crying because…" she didn't know how to say this without sounding silly "… because… I have these feelings for you that… I don't know how to deal with and I'm afraid that… you don't feel the same way." She said sniffling between each word and wiping away the tears that continued to fall.

Erik was taken aback by her declaration. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Christine had feelings for him that she didn't know how to deal with and she was afraid that he didn't feel the same? All this time he had been distancing himself he was just confusing her? He didn't know how to react, but after thinking about what she said he didn't want to assume his thoughts were correct.

"What kind of feelings do you have?" Erik asked, hoping he didn't get it all wrong.

Christine didn't have any words to explain it, all she knew was she was happy with him and she enjoyed the time they spent together. She was afraid to put her feelings into words because she was afraid of his rejection, she feared he didn't have the same feelings and was only interested in her body. She knew that he wanted to get to know her and be with her for more than that, but she worried that he didn't like her for who she was. She knew the only reason she didn't wear the ring on her finger was because she hadn't told him her decision, but either way they were going to marry because she had made her choice and nothing would sway her answer. What she didn't know was if he was going to marry her because of her looks, her voice or her personality. The only way to find out was to be straightforward with him, she decided.

"I enjoy our time together. When I fall asleep all I can think about is the next time I get to see you. When the morning comes I feel like one of the princesses in these stories…" she said looking down at the princess and her prince, "I feel like jumping up and down and rushing to get everything done so I can see you. Now I'm afraid you won't feel the same way."

She had looked down at her book when she spoke of princesses and remembered that Erik told her he recognized she was embarrassed when she put her head down. When Erik brought his finger up to her chin to get her to look up at him, she obeyed and looked into his eyes. His eyes glowed, not with the fires of passion, but with a newfound hope, and happiness. His mouth was turned up in a smile and his expression was one of a man who had just gotten the best gift in the world. Christine held her breath for what he would say next.

"Since the moment I first saw you dancing… I wanted to know you. When your father agreed to let me marry you and bring you to America with me…" he brought his hand to his chest, just over his heart, "my heart practically leaped from my chest. Ever since that moment I have done everything I could think of to get to know you more and to get you to love me the way no one else ever has. I bought you all those dresses and jewelry to make you feel like a queen, but you never had as much interest and pleasure for those gifts as you do when we are together and talking about our pasts. When I learned that we have so much in common…" he was lost for words. "I feel everything you feel. When my eyes close I picture you. When I close that door" he looked to the door to his room "I can't wait for the next moment I get to see you."

Christine's eyes were wide in disbelief and glistening tears were falling down her face in rivers of joy. Her bottom lip quivered, trying to stifle the gasp and cry of pure relief. She didn't know what to say and even if she did she didn't think she would be able to choke anything out over the lump of tears in her throat. Everything he had said was perfect and she felt the need to be pulled into his arms and enveloped in him.

Erik leaned down to her face and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. He tasted the salty tears that were still running down her flushed cheeks and went on to kiss her other cheek. He continued to press light kisses to her forehead, the tip of her nose, and her trembling chin before taking a moment to look into her deep brown eyes. He could see admiration in them and when she nodded her head in acceptance he looked down at her tempting lips.

Her lips were practically begging for attention and he slowly lowered his head to hers while tilting her face closer. Just before their lips touched the door swung open and Christine's father walked in with a glass of hard liquor in one hand and a cigar in the other. His feet were unsteady and he was moments from falling to the floor from the intoxicating drink.

Christine sighed in disappointment, either from the interruption or from his current state, and immediately stood and ran over to him to steady him. She took the glass of brandy and the cigar from his hands and set them on the side table nearest her. Erik noticed that it seemed she had done this countless times before. She knew exactly what to do and practically carried him into the other room towards his bed.

Before she returned to the living room, Erik knew the moment was over.

**xXx**

**Well there it is! Please leave a Review and let me know what you thought! ;D**


	10. Bad Thoughts

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or Titanic. I am borrowing them for entertainment purposes. **

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**A/N: I mentioned this in Music Within, but I am going to mention it again. I might not be able to upload another chapter of this until after Christmas because it is getting so busy and I will be out of town without my precious computer so Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all of my amazing readers.**

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 10: Bad Thoughts

**xXx**

Christine had been unable to get a second of sleep that night. Her mind was racing with the words and thoughts spoken and imagined between Erik and her and the intimacy that they had almost shared.

Erik's lips had been so close to hers. He had started by showering her face with soft, warm kisses and just when he was reaching for her lips her father had stumbled into the room, as if he was a walking bottle of whisky.

Whenever she saw him in that state he was as useless as a baby. Nothing could have made her leave Erik's side, except for her father. What confused her about his state of intoxication was that he always got out of control when he didn't see a way out. He would think it was the end and be unable to go on with his life and the stress and pain of that feeling made him turn to drinking to numb it all. He had no reason to feel that way now. They were on the grandest ship in the world, accompanied by a wealthy architect, heading to a new home, new country, new life. Things were wonderful. _'What made him see no way out?'_ Christine thought, concerned.

A few memories penetrated her mind when she saw her father that way. The first one was when she was five. She had just had a bad dream and was trying to find her father. She had looked in his bedroom, in his study and even in the library. She had found him in the dining room in his seat situated at the end of the long table with a bottle of scotch and an empty glass in front of him. She had seen in his eyes all the hurt in the world and she had watched him try to stand from his seat to go to bed, but he couldn't even lift himself from the dizzying effects of the liquor.

She had seen him many times after that, in many different positions. He would be in his study passed out over his desk, in his bed with an empty glass on the nightstand and even on the stairwell as if he had fallen trying to get upstairs and decided not to bother in getting up.

The last time she had seen him in that state was shortly after he sold his business and most of his belongings. He had debts rising to the roof and no money to help it go down. He had spent the meager amount of spending money he had to buy a bottle of cheap whisky. He had been sitting in his study in front of all his bills, completely drunk. Christine had had enough and confronted him. She made him change at that moment; she wouldn't allow him to get out of control again. She hadn't seen him drink except for the occasional red wine at dinner or champagne at a party since then. Now since she had been spending most of her attention on Erik he had slipped behind her back and broken that promise.

Last night had been the first instance in a year. And from the looks of it that whole year of missing those moments had caught up to him. He was much worse, almost impossible to hold up. She had been able to carry him up the stairs and down the hall to his bedroom countless times, but this time he was deadweight. By the time Christine got through the threshold of her bedroom door she couldn't hold him up much longer and was about to drop him on the carpeted floor. She hurriedly got him onto her bed to see that he was unconscious.

After taking his suit coat, shoes and cravat off she tucked him in under her blankets and turned off the lamp to bring darkness to the room. She wanted to get back out to the sitting room as fast as she could so she could give Erik an apology and possibly have no more interruptions. But when she arrived in the sitting room Erik was no longer sitting on the couch they had vacated moments before and she could hear the splashing of water in the tub behind the closed washroom door.

With a disappointed sigh she turned back into the bedroom and closed the door. She took a nightgown from her trunk and went into her father's room to change. When she got a light on in the room she saw that the bed was unmade, there were countless champagne glasses and tumblers empty on the nightstand and on top of the dresser. His clothes were thrown around on the floor and discarded like they were used handkerchiefs. The air in the room was thick and musty to the point that she had to open one of the windows and let the freezing air come in and thin it out.

Christine climbed into her father's bed after changing and wrapped herself in the blankets to escape from the cold. When her thoughts wouldn't lessen and drift away she found herself lying awake in bed until it became so late that it was early morning. Giving up on trying to sleep she climbed out of bed and wrapped her arms around her body as she hustled over to the window to close it. When she got the lock in place she looked back at the messy room and found herself unable to do anything besides clean it.

She picked up every item of clothing off the floor and stuffed them into her father's trunk. When she could finally see the ornate rug she went on to make his bed and flatten the blankets to make them look less wrinkled. She found a tray sitting on the vanity table and placed all the empty, used glasses on it before taking it out of the room.

When she got into her bedroom she saw her father was still fast asleep and snoring lightly. She found a dress from her closet and hurried back to the privacy of her father's room to put it on. She hadn't noticed that she had picked the one that had the least patches and holes in them and it also could pass as a corseted, 1st class dress. It was a light material of flowing blue and pink that reminded her of the stage and she knew that thought would give her the strength she needed for the day. She went back into her room and found shoes and stockings to put on as well. When she found herself presentable enough for society she brought the tray out into the sitting room. She saw from the deck windows that the sun was trying to peek over the horizon making the sky a pink, orange and purple painting.

Erik was probably sleeping soundly in his bedroom so she quietly took the empty glasses with her as she left the room.

Having been without servants and maids to attend to these chores she had learned to do them herself and found no shame in it. It kept her from getting bored and having nothing to do. She never understood why she didn't do it before. When she was younger and her father was busy working she had no one to keep her company. She could have spent time doing this and time would have passed faster.

When she reached the dining room she looked around the room for a door leading to the kitchens and found one to the side. She walked through the swinging doors and found waiters and chefs all hurriedly preparing breakfast and tea for the passengers. It had taken a minute for someone to notice her standing there. One of the waiters hurriedly came forward to take the dirty dishes and with shaking hands and wide eyes he said,

"Morning miss. I'm sorry that you had to clean up for yourself, I would have gotten it for you."

"No worries. They were in my father's room. I thought I should just get them out of the way." Christine said politely with a smile.

The waiter looked puzzled, but didn't continue. He took the cups to the large sink and came back over quickly. "Would you like me to send you some biscuits or tea?"

"That would be lovely. I'm famished." She said, realizing she hadn't eaten much of her dinner last night and the thought of a flaky croissant made her mouth water.

"You may go wait in the breakfast lounge and I will have them sent to you right away." The man said.

"Thank you." She said before leaving the kitchen and heading out towards the right direction.

When she entered the breakfast area she realized that she should have known the importance of the room earlier. The piano and large space in the middle of the room was all a reminder of the wonderful gift Erik had given her. He had given her the enjoyment of dancing again and he had brought her voice forth, the voice she had left hidden from seeking ears, in this room. Before her face could flush at the thought of what they almost did that night a cheerful sweet voice called her name.

The only other person in the whole room this early was Marguerite de Chagny. Christine saw her sitting by the windows at a table for two with a plate of biscuits and another plate with eggs and ham on them. She had a tea pot sitting on the table as well and was waving her over vigorously.

Christine made her way to Marguerite's table and sat down across from her.

"I feel like we haven't had a chance to talk at all. How have you been enjoying the journey?" Marguerite asked as she continued to eat for two.

"It's very luxurious. I have been enjoying it immensely. Going for strolls on the deck, reading on the comfortable furniture in the sitting room, having decadent food for meals." At that moment the waiter came over and placed croissants and biscuits on the table for her. "Thank you."

The waiter bowed before heading back to the kitchen and out of sight.

Christine started to take a few bites of her pastries while Marguerite continued the conversation.

"Oh yes, I do enjoy the long walks this large ship allows. It takes me nearly an hour to walk half of its length. I heard it was going to be quite warm today, we should make a day of it." she said excitingly.

"I would love that." Christine said, before taking another bite of her buttery, flaky pastry. "How far along are you?" she asked looking at Marguerite's protruding belly and noticing her obvious glow.

"Eight months." She said with a happy smile and a red blush of excitement. "I honestly can't wait for my pregnancy to be over. I have been eating like a starving dog and needing to run to the restroom every few minutes." Even though she was complaining she still caressed her baby's home with protection.

"Well you look wonderful." Christine said openly.

They continued to talk about Marguerite's upcoming son or daughter, than started gossiping about rumors that have been flying around the social circle. Talking about the other countesses and which ones get everything their hearts desire and which ones have husbands that secretly have mistresses. The topic then turned to John Jacob Astor and his young wife Madeline, who was trying to hide her pregnancy.

"I don't understand why someone would want to hide that. It is a beautiful thing. And those two look so happy together. Why not flaunt the news of having a child? Maybe one day you and Monsieur Dreaser will be as happily married as those two. Only you won't want to hide anything." Meg said taking a sip of her warm tea.

The weight of the engagement ring between her breasts, hidden from sight, started to feel suffocating. Not because the idea of marrying him was scary, but because she was hiding her decision from him and everyone else. She was just as guilty as Madeline. Christine was just about to pull the ring out from its hiding place and show it to Marguerite before putting it on her ring finger when she spoke up.

"Oh look our two leading men." Meg said with a wink for Christine's eyes only.

Christine turned in her seat to see Raoul and Erik walking into the breakfast room in a deep conversation. Erik almost looked troubled and Raoul was patting him on the shoulder in reassurance.

"Darling, over here." Meg said producing a wave to get her husband's attention.

Raoul had looked up to hear his wife calling him and smiled. He gestured for Erik to follow and that was when Erik looked forward and locked eyes with Christine. He had a light in his eyes that spoke volumes. She was relieved that he didn't show embarrassment or awkwardness from last night, but instead had a pleasant smile and heated glow in his eyes.

When they reached the table Raoul gave his sitting wife a kiss on the cheek and turned to face Christine.

"Good morning Christine. Enjoying your breakfast?" he asked giving her a polite kiss on her hand.

"Yes very much." Christine said before averting her eyes back to Erik who stood by her side.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Erik asked genuinely. He leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek the way Raoul did with his wife, full of love.

Christine could feel her face burning up from the feel of his lips on her cheek. She just wanted to turn her head and make those lips touch hers, she needed it, but he pulled away before she was given the chance.

"I'm doing fine. I was a bit famished this morning and came down to get breakfast. I hope you aren't upset that I didn't wait for you." Christine said. She didn't want to tell him that she had cleaned her father's room and needed to dispense at least ten glasses in the kitchen before eating.

"Not at all. I was actually working on my outline for the art museum we spoke about." Erik said as he grabbed a chair from a nearby table and put it next to hers the way Raoul just had.

"Oh how is that going?" Christine asked, actually interested.

"It's hard work, but I can manage it." he said smiling happily.

"What do you two think of going for a stroll up on deck?" Raoul said, turning to them. "Possibly finding the Captain or Mr. Andrews to give us a tour?"

"That would be excellent." Erik said turning back to Christine to see if she agreed. From the enthusiasm in her expression and wide smile, he knew her decision.

"Well let's go then." Raoul said standing and helping his very pregnant wife from her seat.

When they arrived up on deck, the sun had fully come out from behind the horizon and warmed the air as if it was the middle of autumn. With Raoul and Marguerite leading the way arm in arm, Erik turned to Christine and asked quietly for only her to hear.

"Are you alright, after what happened last night?" He looked like he was hesitant to ask about what had happened with her father and the effect it had on her, but he was curious to know.

"Yeah." She responded, unconvincingly. With a deep breath she continued, "I've seen my father like that many times before and the surprise of seeing it again after a year was… scary." She said, her eyes starting to tear up at the bad memories.

"Last night on my way to the fitness room I saw your father walk into the men's lounge with Raoul. I was lucky enough to catch him on my way down to breakfast and he mentioned that your father and he were the last two people in the room and he had left earlier. So it seems that no one saw your father in that state." Erik said keeping her arm wrapped around his in a comforting gesture.

That fact had calmed something inside of Christine. She knew that her fear for her father's intentions was part of it, but she had also worried that someone would see him like that and the gossip would travel around the ship before dinner was served. She didn't want the reputation of her drunken father to mess with her relationship with Erik. She would hate for Erik's father to find out about it somehow and refuse to allow his son to marry a drunkard's daughter.

Christine tightened her hold on Erik's arm as a sign that she thanked him for the news and they continued to follow Marguerite and Raoul down the deck in search of a tour guide.

When they bumped into Mr. Andrews talking to Mr. Ismay it only took a few persuasive words to be given a tour of the decks and all that they hold, along with a few 1st class accommodations.

Marguerite had decided she wanted to walk along side Christine, so Erik halfheartedly moved to stand with Raoul behind them as they took the detailed tour. Christine missed Erik's warm hand on hers and the feel of his strong arm wrapped around her small one comfortingly, but she could feel his eyes on her anyway and the sensation made her feel like the only woman in the world. But she had to admit that Marguerite reminded her of Meg so much that she felt like her best friend was talking and walking with her. They looked so much alike, the blonde hair, the green eyes, the pale complexion and the grace to the way they both moved. Even the way Marguerite talked and expressed her emotions reminded her of Meg. It was another great comfort. It was like they were born from the same seed and separated at birth.

Mr. Andrews walked them through the boat deck and past the large lifeboats that took up too much space for an unsinkable ship.

"These decks are too crowded, wasting space with these useless boats." Raoul said with a mocking laugh and lightly kicking the white, wooden structures.

"Well it would have been more crowded. You see the amount of boats here…" he said patting the boats like it were his son's head. "I suggested there should be twice as many lifeboats, enough to carry everyone on board, but I was overruled. Some said it would look too cluttered."

"So you're saying that if something should happen to the ship, more than half of the people on board won't get off?" Christine asked. A sense of foreboding and dark fear overwhelmed her.

"I promise you, Miss Christine, nothing will happen. This is the unsinkable ship is it not?" he said with a small chuckle.

Mr. Andrews started to walk them down the rest of the deck speaking of all the other accommodations the 1st class passengers got. They stopped for looks in the gymnasium, swimming pool, squash court, telephone system, library and barbershop amongst other facilities. All the while Andrews would explain about the building process, use of ornate wood paneling and other decorations. The gymnasium had all state-of-the-art machines and the library was filled with mysteries, romance, horror and other classics, even some recently published works.

As they were coming around the end of the deck towards The Helm Christine stopped by the edge and looked down at the space where third class passenger's loitered and first class passengers would bring their dogs to do their business. She watched men in corduroy pants and off white, dirty shirts sitting around smoking and could hear some of them speaking rather harshly with a vulgar language.

A thought came to her abruptly. If her father hadn't been approached by Erik, if she hadn't danced that night and caught his eye, her father would have spent the rest of his life paying off his debts and ending up with nothing. She would have had to dance until she was no longer a tempting image on stage, leaving her destitute as well. Without Erik she would be forever classified under third class. She would be one of them if it weren't for him.

"What are you thinking about?"

Christine was thrust from her thoughts yet again by Erik's voice. She turned to see him watching her attentively. She had been caught watching the poor people below and being so deep in thought that her expression alone told him what she had been thinking about.

"I was just thinking about what my life would have ended up like if you hadn't saved me." She said looking down at the class she should have been in.

"You don't need to worry anymore." He said wrapping his arm around her shoulders to guide her away from her thoughts.

Christine knew she had nothing to worry about. Erik would always be there and would give her the life she deserved. The thought brought a smile to her face and the weight of the ring still pressed to the skin over her heart was no longer suffocating, but welcoming.

**xXx **

**I decided introducing more characters to the story would be best and make it seem more real. Erik and Christine have been in their own world most of the time. And I also added a hint of foreboding. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and Merry Christmas to you all! Please Leave a Review! That would be a great gift to me! ;) **


	11. Romantic French Dinner

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or Titanic. They belong to their respective owners. **

**A/N: Hope you all have a great 2013 and keep enjoying my stories. My New Year's Resolution is to get better and better and hopefully get more followers. All of you are great! Thank you for your support!**

**I just read the last chapter and realized I made a big mistake that I can't just move around so I will tell it to you now. I said that Christine looked down at the third class by The Helm, but they were actually on the other end of the ship and she is looking down at the Well Decks and Poop Deck. If you don't know where that is, it is where Jack is sitting when he sees Rose for the first time (Well Deck) and where they first meet (Poop Deck).**

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 11: Romantic French Dinner

**xXx**

Erik noticed that Christine had become quiet and turned to see that she had strayed from the group. She was far behind, gripping the wrought iron railing looking down at the Well Decks where third class passengers sat and talked amongst themselves. He hadn't understood why she was looking at them until she said, _'I was just thinking about what my life would have ended up like if you hadn't saved me.' _He noticed that her expression was melancholy. He had calmed her and pulled her away from those thoughts, successfully. But that reassurance hadn't lasted long.

Mr. Andrews went to open the gate so they could pass through the Well Deck to get to the Poop Deck. Christine had seen the sign on the gate saying _Notice 3__rd__ Class Passengers Are Not Allowed Beyond This Point _leading up to where they were just standing. She had immediately gone quiet again and remained passive for the rest of the tour, regardless of Erik's assurance. He assumed she thought of herself as unworthy of being in first class. He decided he needed to find ways to show her that that wasn't true. She belonged among beauty and riches; she was a diamond saying she didn't belong on a necklace of crystal.

Erik couldn't concentrate on what Mr. Andrews was explaining or showing them as all he cared about was Christine. He wanted those tormented memories and beliefs to disappear forever. Her mood was making his heart drop into his stomach, as if her feelings were his feelings.

When the tour was over Raoul and Marguerite excused themselves so she could get some rest after the long walk. When they walked away Christine turned to face Erik, her head lowered as if she didn't have the energy to hold it up.

"I'm actually pretty tired too. I'm going to go lie down." Christine said. Her eyelids were drooping, fighting to keep them open and exhaustion racked her whole body.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Erik asked, lifting her chin with his index finger.

"Not that much." He could see the cloudiness of sleep in her eyes and he released his gentle hold.

"Alright. I'll see you at dinner?" he asked with anticipation. He had a special dinner planned for them and he didn't know if he would be able to wait until tomorrow to see her reaction.

"Sounds great." She said with a small smile, before turning and walking through the first class entrance doors leaving Erik alone on the deck.

Erik sighed, awed by her beauty. _'I am unworthy of her. She is the most beautiful creature in the world and I have the most frightening face in the world'_. It wasn't just the fact that she was beautiful and he wasn't. He couldn't even sway her mind off an upsetting thought. He couldn't even get her to feel comfortable enough around him to accept his proposal. Maybe after tonight that will all change…

With no company in sight and no plans laid out for him for the rest of the afternoon he started to take another walk. When he reached his destination and looked through the wall of windows exposing Café Parisian, the French cuisine restaurant, his heart beat faster in eagerness. This is where he would take Christine for dinner, a reminder of her homeland and a romantic setting. The designs on the walls and tables were French and the smell wafting from the kitchens intoxicated his nostrils with burning beef and searing fish sautéed with what smelled like onions and pepper.

Just outside the restaurant, Christine had stood looking down at the third class passengers standing around. Now as he looked down at them he saw young men smoking and drinking while others were looking out at the water and admiring the view. Young children were chasing each other around or sitting braiding each other's hair.

He couldn't see what was so bad about these ordinary people that would make his society scoff in their direction. The only difference he could see was their presentation and the fact that they didn't have money. They wore what they could make or afford, no matter how unflattering and dull it was. With no money they had to fight for what they wanted and they struggled to make ends meet every day.

Wealthy individuals were given everything they wanted on a silver platter. Some were born with what they have and others worked to get what they wanted. Erik's father had worked to get his business and the millions invested in his name. He had parents that were able to pay for his schooling when he discovered he liked building, sketching and creating. When Erik was old enough to start using a pen he had started taking left over blank sheets of paper from his father's study and drawing sketches and outlines. In his teen years he understood the dynamics of being an architect and quickly followed in his father's footsteps.

The people below with only the money in their pockets and the clothes on their backs looked to be content with each other. He could see the men standing around laughing with each other joyfully and the children chasing each other without a care in the world. They all enjoyed the company of who they were with and found the upside in their situations. None of them looked like they were worried about their lack of money or fearing what would happen to them in America, they just lived in the moment.

An idea struck Erik at that moment like a lightning bolt hitting Earth. His mind started planning and constructing a solution to Christine's attitude. Each minute passed where his plan formed more and more and once it all got figured out he would set it in motion.

**xXx **

"Why have you not lit the last four boilers?" Ismay asked Captain Smith as he looked over the papers he was just given.

"I didn't see a need. We are moving on schedule, set to arrive in New York on Wednesday." The Captain said taking a sip of his honeyed tea.

"Wouldn't it be better if you just lit them and we could arrive early and surprise everyone, make the morning papers? It would look great for you, a great last voyage. Retire with a bang." He said in an authoritative tone, not at all asking for his opinion on the matter.

The Captain looked hesitant, but he thought about it and wondered what it could look like for him to steer the Titanic into shore a day early. He would be the talk of the century. Even if he didn't want to risk it he couldn't turn down Ismay's recommendation. Ismay was his boss, he had hired him on to captain his grand ship when he could have chosen a number of other great captains. He wanted to prove to Ismay that he could do it.

With a slight nod of his head, Ismay sat back in his seat and took a swig from his cigarette with a content smile. "Good man."

**xXx**

Christine had passed out the second her head hit the pillow.

She had walked into her bedroom and found her father was gone, he must have been so drunk that he couldn't remember what happened last night. She looked down at the wrinkled, dirty sheets and the comforter that had been pushed aside and wondered if her father had woken with a headache or just disorientation.

Without another thought towards it she hurried to undo her dress so she didn't suffocate in the tightness of it while she slept. When she stood in her thin chemise she crawled in between the sheets and huddled against the pillow for warmth. She could smell her father's heavy cologne mixed with strong liquor and it comforted her somehow. Her father had frequently been a drunk, handicapped man, but overall he had been the sweet, caring, loving father that took care of her all her life. With that intoxicating aroma flowing from the pillow and sheets and into her nostrils it calmed her into a deep sleep.

The next thing she knew she was being woken by a soft jolt to her shoulder. She blinked her eyes open and saw a maid standing by the side of her bed softly touching her shoulder to shake her awake.

"Miss? Monsieur Dreaser is waiting to escort you to dinner." She said holding a beautiful blue dress up for her to wear.

Christine drowsily got out of bed and stood holding onto the bed post while the maid put a corset on her and tightened it. With each pull on the strings, the corset tightened against her making her more and more rigid, waking her from the effects of that dreamless sleep she had been in.

When the maid finished lacing the corset together in the back, Christine stepped into the royal blue dress and allowed her to button up the back.

Once the maid left she went over to the closet and found black high heels that would go well with the dress. After she put them on she sat in front of the mirror and looked at her horrid reflection.

She had circles under her eyes and her hair was thrown around as if the wind was coming at her in every direction. She quickly combed through her curly locks, ignoring the shots of pain that accompanied brushing through the knots and tried to pull it all up with pins, leaving a few strands loose to fall down her shoulders and back. She pulled out her blush and concealer and made up her face to be presentable. Her lips shined a luscious red, her eyelids were colored dark purple to bring out the blue specks in her eyes and she covered the darkness under her eyes that was left over from the exhaustion of no sleep last night. When she looked into the ceiling to floor mirror she found herself to be absolutely beautiful for a girl that had woken up less than twenty minutes ago.

When she opened the door to the sitting room she saw Erik standing next to the couch looking at the grandfather clock. He looked over at the sound of Christine's door opening and saw the vision that hopefully would be his wife one day. She was stunning in a royal blue dress and her hair pinned halfway up. Even without pounds of jewelry on her neck and ears she looked fit for the first class.

After genuine compliments and wandering eyes, Erik took her out of the suite and down the grand staircase. Instead of taking a right towards the dining room they kept going straight.

"Why aren't we going to dinner?" Christine asked looking back at where all the other passengers were heading to.

"I thought tonight could be more special." Erik said with a hint of mystery.

They continued walking through until they got to the deck. Christine had started to grow more curious of the fact that they had left for dinner and passed the dining room and now that they were outside she was completely confused. Erik noticed that she was oblivious to what he planned and knew that she must have been in her own world when Mr. Andrews was talking about the restaurant.

When Christine was guided around a corner they walked through a door into a small restaurant, surrounded by windows looking out on the sunset. There were only a couple pairs sitting at tables eating fine cuisine and at least ten tables that were unused. Erik pulled out a seat at the table closest to them and offered Christine to sit. When he sat across from her a waiter came out of nowhere as if he was waiting right behind her chair for him to sit.

"Here are your menus." He said handing each of them leather bound menus. "Can I get you two some wine or champagne?" he asked with his hands behind his back waiting for a chance to depart.

"Can we have a bottle of your finest Merlot?" Erik asked without taking his eyes away from Christine.

"Certainly." The waiter said before walking away briskly.

Christine was looking through the menu, listing off everything they had in her mind. It was all French cuisine and all different dishes that she had had in her life at one point or another. With each delicious dish she read, she missed France more and more. She listed off each one on a scale of one to ten on which were appetizing and the others that were hard to keep down.

The one time she had eaten steak it had taken her five minutes to swallow one small bite. The meat was very tough and had a strange taste that she never liked. She always enjoyed chicken and fish, but it depended on the sauce or juices that were poured over it, whether it be lemons, white wine or mushrooms. She always enjoyed seafood, but her father hadn't, making it a rare occasion to have it in the house.

Now as she looked in the seafood section of the menu she saw fillet salmon, scallops, raw tuna and oysters. Out of everything the oysters stuck out to her. She had only had them once when she was ten and she remembered them being very hard to open and eat, but the result of the taste was extraordinary. She had decided. Oysters were going to be her dinner tonight.

She closed the menu and placed it to the side just as the waiter came back over with a dark bottle of wine Erik had asked for. She looked over at Erik to see he had put his menu aside as well and was looking at her with a gleam of delight in his eyes. She didn't know what had caused his joyful mood since she had been sour all day and was not the best company. She was surprised he even wanted to bring her to a special dinner.

"Have you two decided what you would like for your entrée?" the waiter asked after he poured wine into their glasses and placed the bottle in a bucket of ice next to their table for easy reach.

Christine spoke up first at Erik's insistence and ordered the oysters. Erik looked surprised at her choice and continued to say he would have the same.

When the waiter left to place the orders, Christine looked back at Erik.

"Have you ever had oysters before?" she asked curiously.

"No, I have not. All I know is they are very hard to eat." He said with a small smile.

"I haven't had them in almost 6 years. The moment I saw them on the menu I had to get them. My father never appreciated the taste of seafood, so it was very rare to have them in the house."

"Well we live near the docks in New York. I can make sure we have more fish and shellfish available to eat." Erik said, pleased that he had found another reason for her to want to stay with him when they got to America.

Christine had told him her feelings for him, but he didn't know if that was good enough to keep her in America and get her to marry him. He wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, but he wouldn't force her to do something she didn't want to do. After learning so much about her dreams, aspirations and hopes for life he wanted to make sure she was happy, and if living and marrying him wasn't going to make her happy he would let her go. Even if it broke his heart.

"Are you alright Erik? You look a little sick." Christine said worrying.

Erik hadn't realized that he had started to bead on his forehead from the thought of losing her and his expression read that he had eaten something nasty.

"I'm alright." Erik said composing himself and trying to be in the moment and not think about the future.

They started to enjoy their company, drinking wine, watching the sun set in the distance, and talking of what they liked and disliked. Erik felt like he had known her all his life from all the information he learned about her in the last three days. Christine felt the same. They knew almost everything about each other, childhood dreams, hobbies, favorite foods, interests, what they had done in life up to this moment and what they hope to do in the future.

"What is something I don't know about you?" Erik asked, curiously.

"Hmmm, I don't know, I've told you a lot." Christine said staring up as if she was trying to search her brain for a memory or characteristic of hers that she might not have told him. "Did I ever tell you that I was proposed marriage by three different men before you?"

Erik's eyes widened and his visible eyebrow almost reached his hair line. He had just taken a sip of wine and almost spat it out from that statement. He was speechless, staring at her with his mouth open ready to say something.

"Let me explain. The first one was when I was eight. He was my best friend and our fathers were financially working together. He had asked me to marry him because he swore he loved me even though we were only ten and eight. But when my father was unable to fulfill his father's wishes he left and brought his son with him. I never saw him again.

"The second man was before my father sold the business. It was before anyone realized he was struggling. I thought we were stable and wealthy, but he was hiding all of it. I had grown close with another business owners son and we were both fifteen and still in the stage of happiness with each other. We were in pure bliss. When my father finally came out and sold the business and most of our belongings, Samuel had noticed. He realized right away that my father was bankrupt. He left me, just like that, started courting another woman as if I never existed. He married her within the year and with her being wealthier than him he used some of her family money to save his own business. He was secretly searching for a wealthy family so he could save his father's business from going under, just like my father's."

"I'm sorry. That must have been hard." Erik said.

A sudden urge to kill Samuel for hurting Christine that shamelessly rose up in him until he realized it was for the best that he left her. His betrayal had sent Christine to work as a dancer where she caught his eye. He wouldn't have seen her and he wouldn't have this gorgeous companion sitting across from him now if it weren't for Samuel's cold heart.

"It was. It would have been worse if I had given myself to him completely like I wanted to." Christine blurted out without thinking. She felt her cheeks quickly heating up and without looking at Erik she could tell that he was staring at her in shock. "I mean… I do want to wait for marriage, but if it's the right man I wouldn't wait."

Erik couldn't believe what she had just said. He always believed she was one of those woman that waited until there was a ring on her finger and a new title until she laid with a man. But now she would lay with a man if he was the one. _'I could be the one.'_ He thought, hopefully. Before he could even come up with a response the waiter came by with their oysters and placed each plate in front of them before refilling their wine glasses.

As soon as the waiter left Erik asked, "So who was the third, ungrateful man that asked for your hand?" he was actually very curious and wanted to avoid his thoughts from straying to them laying and twining in the white sheets of his suite.

"He was more like the first one. He was just an admirer, like you. He had come to my dressing room with a bouquet of lilies and he had been completely enamored by my dancing. I'm pretty sure he was drunk and doesn't remember asking me. He just kneeled in front of my vanity and pleaded for me to marry him. Madame Giry had to pull him from the room before he got to frisky." She finished with a soft laugh.

"Well now I am glad I didn't walk into your dressing room like I was going to. Always ask for the father's permission first." Erik said with a jesting expression.

Christine enjoyed his attitude towards life and loved spending time with him. It didn't matter what they were doing in the moment, she wanted to kiss him and hold him and show him the ring that still pressed into the skin between her breasts. She wanted to show him this second. She knew he was the one that was going to make her happy; she knew he was the right person to be with. Her opinion was never going to change, he was perfect. Just as she reached inside her dress to pull it out Erik looked down at the oysters quizzically.

"Well it must be my lucky night. They served them in half shells so I don't need to embarrass myself with trying to open them."

His words had broken her from her thoughts and she looked down at the gourmet meal in front of her. She released her tight grip on the ring and decided it was probably for the best to let him know after dinner and to just enjoy the meal in front of her now.

Christine picked up her small fork and scraped at the oyster in its shell to make sure it was detached before picking it all up and bringing it to her mouth like a glass of wine. She looked up at Erik to see him following her lead as he had never eaten them before. Christine smiled at him before bringing her head back and letting the contents of the shell slip past her parted lips and slide on her tongue. She took a few bites to savor the salty, buttery taste and swallowed.

Erik put his shell face down on the plate and chewed before swallowing. "I can't believe I have never tried that before. That is delicious."

They continued to talk and laugh in between oysters and half an hour later and two more refilled glasses of wine they finished the meal and sat back to allow it to digest.

"Would either of you like to enjoy our chocolate or vanilla éclairs?" the waiter asked after taking their plates away.

Christine denied the offer as she had been filled by the oysters. Erik quickly denied as well not wanting to delay the plan he had for the evening. After he placed money down on the table he stood and helped Christine from her chair.

They walked out of the small veranda and into the cool night air. The sun had fallen past the horizon while they were eating, leaving twinkling stars and a bright moon in the sky.

"Thank you. That was delicious. Exactly what I needed." Christine said, feeling much better than she was earlier in the day.

"I'm glad to see that peaceful look on your face again." He said holding her arm and looking at her as if she was the only beautiful sight around them.

Erik continued to walk her across the deck and closer to the stern.

"Where are we going?" Christine asked, Erik kept surprising her with where they were going and she couldn't keep up.

He didn't answer, but with his silence she understood that it was a surprise. She started to shake with anticipation of where they were going and she started to try and speed up their steps to get there faster. Erik noticed her insistence and hurried along with her by his side.

When they reached the deck that looked down on the third class hang out Christine became nervous. Erik opened the gate leading down the steps to that section and pulled her along with him.

"Erik, what are you doing? Why are we going down here?"

"I need to show you something." He replied.

She was shaking again with anxiety instead of anticipation. When they got down to the third class deck he guided her across the unused space until they stood in front of a flight of stairs leading farther into the ship's depths. These stairs were not as grand or opulent as the first class ones, but they were painted white with thin black railings on each side. She looked above and saw a sign reading, _'Third Class Smoking Room'_. She could hear drums, cellos and other instruments she recognized from the opera house playing raucous music instead of peaceful story telling. She could hear glass breaking, yelling men and excited women's laughter being drowned out by the loud music.

Before she could ask Erik why he brought her here he took her hand and started to descend the stairs into dim lighting and chaotic noise.

**xXx**

**Yes I am adding that scene from Titanic in here. I told you I would add a couple of my favorite scenes from the movie in this story. Here is the first one! Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review!**

**P.S. The title of the next chapter is going to be The Effects Oysters Can Make. ; ) **


	12. The Effects Oysters Can Make

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or Titanic. I am just borrowing the characters and ideas for entertainment purposes. **

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day to all of you wonderful readers! I hope you all have your own Erik or Christine (if I have any male readers). ;D If not, spending time with family and friends is good too. That's what I'm doing! **

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 12: The Effects Oysters Can Make

**xXx**

Christine squeezed Erik's hand tighter as they descended into the basement of the deck, officially called the smoking room for the third class.

The sturdy white steps were so plain compared to the mahogany wood of the grand staircase in first class. Christine found herself trying to pull back from their destination and go back up into the cold night air, the noises coming from the dimly lit space a couple feet below made fear bubble up to the surface of her mind. Erik squeezed her hand back reassuringly and gave her a soft smile that calmed her shaking body, but made her heart skip a beat with its beauty. If he smiled at her like that she would walk with him anywhere, even off the edge of the Earth.

When the noises finally showed themselves to her eyes she looked around the dimly lit room. The only source of light in the space were small enclosed light bulbs strapped to the walls and a larger one that was placed above a small wood planked dance floor. The whole room was filled with men in corduroy pants and loose fitted shirts and woman wearing dresses that were made of scratchy material and unflattering colors, something similar to what her maid used to wear when she was little. Everyone was either dancing or sitting at tables drinking tall glasses of beer and smoking burnt out cigarettes.

Christine hugged herself close to Erik's body as she looked at the wild activities that these people were participating in. Men were arm wrestling or playing poker while the women played two player card games with their children. Others cursed loudly while watching the bets being made or laughed and clapped while watching the dances taking place.

The partiers were dancing around the room like they were on trampolines. They were moving around in a way that she had never seen done before on stage, reminding her of the movement of a horse galloping across the meadow. It was almost like a waltz with the way the partners held each other, but it was fast and upbeat with a skip in their steps.

As she watched she hadn't noticed she released Erik's arm enough for him to move behind her. He was now grasping her hips in his hands and speaking softly in her ear; loud enough for her to hear over the music, but soft enough that it was intimate.

"Do you see these people, their behavior, and the way they act? That can be seen in anyone if you look hard enough. Each person in this room fights for what they want, fighting every day to have a sliver of happiness. Including you and me. I fight for you. You have been fighting for your father and yourself. You have that survivor instinct that everyone in this room has. You have that glow of delight around you that reflects on everyone that see's you, including me. And if I looked harder and knew you a little longer, I know I would find that wildness in you too. Maybe if I'm lucky, tonight I will see that in you."

The heated breath against her ear from his words warmed her and the things he said made her face and body heat up with hidden desire. Fear of the chaos and the people surrounding them dissolved until all she could think about was his hands on her hips, his lips at her ear and his strong chest and heartbeat against her back.

Erik could feel her body loosen and he swore he could see the little hairs on the back of her neck stand up straight. He had brought her down here to relieve her fears and make the third class look less scary, but somehow he had worded it and spoken it to her in a seductive manner. He didn't know what was happening to his mind to make him think of her this way. He always knew he wanted her sexually, but now it was in the front of his mind and he couldn't think about anything else.

His palms started to sweat where they were placed on her hips and the only thing on his mind was the question of what her skin would taste like. Her hair was pulled up revealing her neck and shoulders and all he wanted to do was ravish her with kisses and bites and pull her closer.

He shook himself from those thoughts, remembering that they were in a public place and they couldn't show such affection around people. To avoid getting more aroused than he already was he took a step away from her and looked around at all the people, drinking, playing, dancing, and yelling. The dancing partners were close to each other, but the unusual hopping and twirling looked like something that could shake his thoughts away.

He came around to Christine's front to see her eyes were closed and her cheeks were the color of rose petals. She had been just as affected as he had been and she was trying to calm herself. To get her attention he reached for her delicate fingers and pulled her close.

Her eyes immediately shot open and she looked up at him, surprise showing in her wide eyes. He could only imagine what was running through her mind to make her bite her bottom lip. He slowly lifted his hand to her mouth and rubbed her bottom lip to make her release it. Her lips felt soft to the touch and his mind automatically turned to longing again.

He just wanted to take a broom and swat the thoughts away like his kitchen maid back home would do when rats entered from the barn. "Would you like a dance?" he said with a slight bow, forgetting about his not so innocent thoughts.

She smiled at his gentlemanly gesture and looked past him at the other dancers nervously, making her smile fade.

"Don't worry. We'll just mimic what they do." He said understanding that she was worried about how to go about participating in the strange dance.

He pulled her through the intoxicated third class passengers until they reached the dance floor. Once they were surrounded by everyone he pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her back and entwining his fingers with hers. Before they started moving with the other dancers he looked at the way they were holding each other and the way everyone else was holding each other. They weren't as close as the other partners, body parts were touching and nothing could get between them. Erik pressed his hand against her lower back until she was that close.

Her eyes immediately diverted from his to his bowtie. She was doing everything she could to keep her true feelings from pouring out in front of other people, no matter how improper they were. Erik liked to see how he could affect her and loved to see her blush run over her face and down her neck past her neckline. He could only imagine how far that blush went. When he realized he was looking down at her breasts confined in the corset and tight material he averted his eyes to the top of her head.

They had started moving along with the other dancers, twirling, jumping and turning. Everyone around them hadn't noticed they were there, or they had and were too drunk to believe it, so they were free to be as ridiculous as they wanted without being judged. Realizing that, Erik wondered why he still hid his emotions from her. Why would he look at her head and not her eyes or her curvy, small body? No one would judge him for that. As he looked at all the other people they were doing that exact thing. Men were looking at their women with lust. Women looked at their men in admiration.

Christine must have realized the same thing at the same time for she looked up into his eyes when he did. They were so close and so intimate that that moment they had been craving had finally come. Erik had stopped dancing to just look in her deep brown eyes that were bursting with an unquenchable thirst, equal to his.

Christine had looked up at him realizing he had brought her here to reveal how the third class was not a bad place to be and that everyone is the same, there is wildness and complete abandon in everyone. He always knew how to make her see the positive; he always brought her back from the brink of insanity or deprivation. She knew it was insane to have these feelings for him when they only knew each other for four days, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him and planned on showing him the ring that was still tucked between her breasts, hovering over her heart.

But he was so close and she could see what he wanted and she had no objections. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to feel those lips on hers. She could only imagine what they would taste like, what they would feel like…

Just before Erik could lean down to her face and do what he had dreamed about for so long his hand was grabbed by someone else's, not Christine's. He was jolted from Christine as if he was attached to the hand and that hand was on a moving train. The only thing Erik could think to do was grab Christine's hand and drag her along with him.

Christine's beam of laughter and excited smile at his sudden grasp made him smile brightly. He looked towards the hand that had grabbed his to see a young woman in a cheap floral pattern dress with a lace top was laughing and jumping with the stream of people in front of her. That was when he realized he was chosen to be part of a dance of linked hands that curved through the room like a snake.

He looked back at Christine, his chosen one, to see her smiling and enjoying herself. She looked like an adventurous little girl that had just discovered a new world. Her eyes were wide, trying to catch everything around her and her mouth was wide open in awe. He was pleased that he could make her go from upset that morning to beaming with cheerfulness now. He hoped he could do that for her for the rest of their days.

They went on this train of people for the rest of the song and once it ended a new song immediately started up going back to the twirling, hyper dancing that they had arrived to see.

This time Christine was the one to drag him out on the dance floor. She was in such a breezy mood, mirroring the music, and she couldn't help herself from standing out.

She took his hand and guided him through the raucous dancers until she stepped up onto the elevated wood plank where a couple wild dancers vacated.

The music had changed to something more exotic and seductive, immediately making her think of her last performance on stage. She had done a tango in Carmen, the first time Erik ever saw her. The dance that had made her catch his eye. Everything was fitting perfectly like a puzzle.

She immediately twined her fingers with his and put their hands up to her eye level and moved his other hand to her waist line before placing her hand on his chest, just over his heart that was beating faster than hers, if that were possible.

He looked unsure and she knew that she was going to have to teach him as they went along. She couldn't lead… one because she was the woman and two because she had learned to follow. Maybe by some miracle he would remember the dance she had been doing and he would mimic the steps her male dancer had done, the way he had mirrored the third class dancers.

When she started drifting away he followed, taking the steps that were needed from him. She realized from the look on his face that he knew what dance they were doing and he enjoyed being a part of it and not just sitting in the audience.

When Erik realized what dance they were doing and what it meant to their relationship he made sure he wouldn't mess it up. He remembered the first time he saw her like it was only a few minutes ago and he remembered the immediate rush of jealousy when she had gotten up and close with a male, half naked dancer. Now he would be that partner that got to feel her curves against him and to hold her in a seductive gesture.

After a few more steps Erik felt comfortable and confident in the dance and guided her along the dance floor and through other dancers. They were in their own world, doing a different dance than what the others were. They were almost like the couple that came on the dance floor last and didn't know the steps to what everyone else was doing so decided to do what they knew.

He turned her so her back was to his front and guided her through the steps while her hands went up around his neck. He knew how improper this dance was in public, it was as if they were fornicating in the middle of a ball. But they were in the third class with drunken people that probably wouldn't remember them in the morning. He could do whatever he wanted, if Christine agreed, of course.

He smoothly pressed his hands against her hips that were waving to the music and brought them up to her waist and up her arms. He could see small bumps erupt on her skin, but he knew they weren't from a chill for she was beading with heat from the erotic dancing. He was affecting her in a way that she couldn't control.

He twirled her back until she was facing him again and he could see fire behind her eyes and a wicked smile curving her lips. She wasn't going to deny her feelings tonight.

They went through the rest of the song in a sensual dance until the end came and he bent her over until she was almost parallel to the floor and her leg was angled around his hip. As the last note of the song floated through them he quickly brought her back up making their noses touch in a light caress.

Erik was a bit exhausted, but the main reason he had to stop was because of how she was making him feel. He wasn't sure he would be able to go through another dance with her and not give into the fire that consumed him. He had to take a breather he would take her right there on the dance floor with everyone watching if he didn't.

Christine's thoughts were running along the same wave length only she had an added thought on her mind. He was the one. She knew it and she wasn't going to let anything interrupt her from doing what she had to do.

She reached up to unclasp the chain around her neck and lifted it up and away from her body.

She watched as Erik's brows creased in confusion and his eyes widened at the sight of the ring he had given her coming out from under her neckline.

She took the ring off the chain and took hold of his hand. She pressed the diamond encrusted engagement ring into his palm before releasing it. She looked back up at Erik's face to see terror and disappointment.

Erik couldn't believe what was happening. She was returning the ring which was always a sure sign of rejection. They had just shared a heated dance and he had brought her down here to the third class where her mood had almost instantly brightened. He thought everything was going well. He must have scared her away. He wanted to lash out at himself for being too forward and ruining any chance of being the luckiest man by having her.

"Ask me again." Christine whispered in his ear breaking through his thoughts.

He looked back at her seeing she had an intriguing smile and a happy gleam in her chocolate eyes. She had said those three words as a command and not a question.

He didn't know what to think of this extraordinary woman before him. She kept surprising him with her actions and her words and he didn't know how to keep up with her. But he always loved a challenge.

With that statement he took her hand in his and guided her off the dance floor and through the crowd of people that were rejoicing and watching the other dancers. He guided her up the steps they had taken to this world to return to their own. The sky had gone completely dark with a sprinkling of stars and a bright moon above.

Erik wanted to find the perfect spot to ask her, he had dreamt of this moment for a long time and the reality of it had to be perfect. He had asked her before, but it hadn't been the way he wanted it, he didn't want a door between them, he didn't want her to open the box and not be able to see her reaction. He got a chance to remake that moment and he wanted it to be perfect.

With a destination in mind, he guided her up the stairs out of the Well Deck and towards the Stern. He could barely contain his eagerness and practically ran to the end of the ship with her trying to keep up. He turned back to look at her and saw his thoughts and feelings reflected in her eyes.

He reached out for the railing of the Stern and looked out at the water and endless darkness, unable to see where the sky and ocean line met. This is where he had seen Christine for the first time aboard the ship. She had looked out at the speck of land that was France and wept in anger and despair. He would make sure that the memory of leaving France behind would be the beginning of an amazing journey and no longer a hard turning point in her life.

He turned to finally face her to see she wasn't paying attention to the world left behind; she had all her attention on him. The stars in the sky glistened in her eyes making them mesmerizing. She looked at him with the biggest smile he had ever seen on her face.

"Christine, this is where I saw you for the first time on this ship. I had watched you from afar, watched as you said goodbye to your homeland. At that moment I promised that I would take care of you and love you for the rest of my life. I want to make you the happiest woman in the world."

She hadn't expected him to say that and was a bit shocked by the declaration. She had a small feeling that someone was watching her when she was saying goodbye to France, but she had put it aside thinking a worker or passenger was looking at her as they walked by. Realizing it was him she felt like he was more than just her future husband, he was her guardian angel, always watching over her, making her feel safe.

With that being said, Erik bent down on one knee in front of her, watching as the wind played with the hem of her skirt and the tendrils of hair that hung loosely down her neck and back from the wild dancing. She was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

"Will you make me the happiest man in the world and in return allow me to make you the happiest woman in the world. Let us be the talk of the century, let us be what everyone wants." He held the ring up for her to see, propped between his thumb and forefinger. "Will you marry me?"

Without hesitation Christine brought her hand down to his unmasked cheek and caressed the stubble of his chin. She couldn't think of a life without him, a life where he wasn't by her side or holding her hand. She could only think of one right answer to that question. "Yes. I will marry you."

Erik's dream was coming true. The world's best word had uttered from her lips making the best response to the most important question. With only two things left to do, he took the ring and lifted her left hand so he could slide it onto her ring finger. It looked perfect on her, the softness of her skin finally joining with jewels fit for a queen.

He stood up to his full height, looking down at Christine who followed his movements with her eyes. With one final action left and no one around to interrupt he put one hand up to the back of her neck and wrapped his other arm around her waist to pull her closer.

He arched her face up to his gently and brought his face down to hers. With a light brush of lips he felt the jolt of electricity burst like a light bulb exploding. The only sounds between them were their heavy breathing and soft moans of satisfaction. Christine closed her eyes to savor his touch and feel his lips against hers again. He pressed against her marveling in the feeling of her lips and curves of her body touching his.

Her lips felt like the softest velvet, rubbing against his in a comforting and warm caress.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue coming out to softly pet hers. She gladly opened her mouth to allow him entrance and went weak at the knees when the tip of his tongue brushed against hers. Every nerve ending in her body sparked, making heat shoot through her veins.

Erik picked her up around the waist to keep her from falling without letting the kiss end. They were so close that he could practically feel her skin through the many layers of clothing. Oh, how he badly wanted to feel her bare skin against his own. The thought made his member harden instantly.

Christine was lifted a foot in the air, making her a couple inches higher than him. She deepened the kiss by cocking her head to the side and getting a better angle on his lips and tongue. At the intensity of the moment Erik grabbed a hold of her thigh and brought it up until she wrapped her leg around his waist.

The image they must have been making was unfit for public display, but Erik didn't care. It was too cold out for anyone to want to be out in the windy air. The heat circulating around them from their passion was the only thing keeping them from freezing to death.

He released her mouth to take a breather. He could see her breaths escape her as heavily as his were, large white clouds bursting from their mouths and evaporating in the air between them. She looked like she would have gladly kept kissing him without taking a breath, but he knew she would have fainted from lack of oxygen.

He brought her feet back down to the floor, realizing he was squeezing her torso more than it already was from the corset. He pressed his forehead against hers as she closed her eyes again to calm herself down.

They had waited much longer than they wanted to, there had been countless opportunities before, but they would always get interrupted, either by her father or a drunken third class passenger. All the pent up desire shared between them had erupted and come out all at once when their lips had finally touched.

"That was the most… wonderful… perfect first kiss." Christine said, staring up at him in awe.

He gave her a soft chuckle before saying, "Well you are the most wonderful, most perfect woman. It seemed fitting."

He leaned down to quickly take her lips in another searing, powerful kiss that she was all too willing to accept.

**xXx**

**Well there's that long awaited first kiss. What did you guys think? If that's how steamy the first kiss is, you can only imagine what their first night together will be like. ; ) **


	13. True Feelings Come Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or Titanic. They belong to their respective owners!**

**A/N: I am so sorry! I can't believe it took me almost two months to put this up. I feel horrible! I have been working a lot lately, barely have any time to write or think of ideas. When I do have a minute with the computer I am uninspired. But today was my first day off in weeks and I finally just sat down and didn't stop. I hope this is good enough for you guys and your words would really help me continue so please comment! Be nice though! **

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Unsinkable**

Chapter 13: True Feelings Come Out

**xXx**

Christine felt the sun radiate from her heart. Her whole body felt warm and her mind euphoric. She had been awake for some time staring up at the white ceiling with a twinkle in her eye and joy on her face.

Erik had finally kissed her. His lips had joined with hers in an overwhelming desire and she returned that vigor wholeheartedly. His kiss was more than she could have ever imagined. The kisses she had shared in the past with her former loves were blurred and distanced compared to what Erik did with his lips and… tongue.

She blushed at the memory of the way she had responded to him. She touched her parted lips with shaking fingers to feel the bruising and remember the way his silky lips had made them. She had never been so… hypnotized by a man before. He made her heart accelerate, her blood run faster and hotter and the urge to kiss him and touch him was overpowering. He enveloped her mind. She just wished he was enveloping her body right now.

After their minds cleared and they stood with only their hands touching, they both realized that they had shown such emotions in the cold night air, out in the open where anyone could come across and see them. The body heat that swirled around them when they were wrapped up in each other dissipated and Christine's passion for Erik rolled off of her making her shiver.

"Let's get you inside." Erik had said, misinterpreting the reason for her shiver.

When they got to their rooms he had politely kissed her on the hand and allowed her to venture into her room… alone. She didn't want to be separated from him. She'd told him that she didn't want to wait for marriage when she found the right man. When she asked him to propose to her again that should have been the proof that he was that man.

Now as she thought over their amazing kiss and the way the night ended, she ripped the sheets off of her body and quickly gathered her best dress from one of the chests and donned it. She brushed through her messy hair and added a touch of eye make-up to hide the fact that she didn't get a lot of sleep. She would have no need for blush as the second she saw him her heated blood would do that for her. No need for lipstick either, for she would lose it and he would gain it when they kissed. She pondered the thought of putting jewelry on, but decided against it, knowing that any jewelry would be pointless and unworthy to go with the engagement ring sitting on her left hand.

She was so elated to have it displayed for everyone to see and let everyone know that she was his… her Erik.

She went over to her door and swung it open, looking out into the living room with a smile to find no one sitting out there to see it.

She was about to sigh in disappointment when Erik walked in from their private deck with papers in one hand and tea in the other. He looked up to see her standing across the room and almost dropped the steaming contents and fragile glass.

The most extraordinary beauty was standing across from him and the ring on her finger only made her look more beautiful, if that were possible. It was as if he were standing next to her with his hand on her lower back and a fierce expression telling all other men to back away.

Last night after he let her disappear into her room he went to his and undressed quickly. The desire to have her underneath him, above him and in front of him, completely bare of clothing, was impossible to ignore, but he wouldn't release his full passion for her and scare her away. He wouldn't be able to bare it if she feared him. But the desire for her was still very strong and he couldn't rest until he did something to alleviate the pressure. Taking his cock in his hand and letting the back of his lids paint a picture of her blushing face and irresistible mouth made the torment of his body's reaction to her feel less constricted. He pictured what her body would look like and what her face would express as he touched her. The thought of her willingness and gentle noises and ministrations made him come quickly.

Now seeing her again, he still desired her, but he was able to push it into the back of his mind. Unlike yesterday when each time he tried pushing the desire away and hide it in a corner of his mind, it would jolt back into the forefront.

"Good morning." Christine said with a small smile and an almost shy tone to her voice.

'_Yes it is a good morning now that you're here._' Erik thought. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, knowing he hadn't gotten a peep thinking of only a wall standing between them. He placed his cup and papers down on a side table next to a chair, in case he dropped them or wrinkled the papers with his fist of restraint.

"Very well, thank you." She lied. She'd been too restless to sleep until the early hours of the morning, only to wake a couple hours later with the need to see him again. "Have you seen my father?" she asked curiously.

Erik hadn't expected that to be the first thing she said to him after last night. He was a bit disappointed, but answered her truthfully. "I heard some rustling out here about an hour ago, and then the door shut, so I think he went to get breakfast."

"Good." Christine said walking towards him briskly, separating the space between them.

She put her hand on either side of his head, one on the hard smoothness of his mask and the other on his slightly rough cheek from lack of shaving, to bring him down to her eager lips. She had wanted to feel his touch and kiss him under the sheets all night and seeing him now made all those thoughts build up inside her. Erik, without hesitation or thought, returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around her small waist. The kiss was just as unrestrained as last nights, but the need to fall into bed and stay there all day was dimmed in comparison to last night. Now was just about marveling in the touch and feel of each other, being together. Christine opened her mouth under his, allowing his smooth tongue entrance and pulled closer to feel him against her. When the need to take in air became desperate she let go, but lingered, keeping their noses touching, not wanting to separate completely.

"You are a passionate songbird aren't you?" Erik said teasingly.

Not knowing what to say she breathlessly apologized, "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"Never apologize for that." He said with a pleased smile. "But we do have to be going. The service is supposed to start in twenty minutes."

'_Service?'_ she thought, completely lost as to what he was talking about. She took a step back to clear her mind from his bruised lips and heated eyes, then reality hit. "Church? Oh, I completely forgot. Um… will you have a maid sent up to help me with one of the dresses you got me? I don't think one of my worn dresses will be worthy enough."

"Of course, I'll have someone to help you as soon as possible." He said, displaying his polite, gentlemanly side again.

"Thank you." Just as she went to turn and go back to her room she noticed his mask was a bit off center from the way she had roughly grabbed his face and kissed him, bumping it. "Oh, let me help you."

She brought her hand to the soft surface of his mask and when her hand made contact with the thick material his eyes widened in wonder. But when he realized she was just trying to fix it he released the tension from his shoulders and closed his eyes to hide his astonishment. Any other person would have taken the mask off to assuage their curiosity if they got close enough to it, but not Christine.

She pushed it back into place like a painting that was crooked on a wall. Even though it had been a small section of his covered side that showed she hadn't seen any marks or deformations. It was flawless, smooth skin like his left side, only a bit paler from lack of exposure to the sun. She wondered what could possibly be under there that would make him think she would be scared away. Nothing could make her run from him.

When she saw that the mask was back to being perfectly placed on his face she turned to walk back to her room. Before she could take a step he grabbed her hand and spun her back to face him. From the strength of his pull she had brushed right up against his body and could feel the hard muscle and body heat through all the layers of clothing. _'Was that even possible?'_ Christine thought, dazed.

His lips were a breath away from hers and as he spoke she could feel his lips brush against hers as they opened and closed. "Remind me to thank God for giving you to me."

Christine closed her eyes to keep from moving that one centimeter closer and kissing him, forgetting all about church, but her father walked through the door with a cup of coffee in his hand.

Christine turned to look at her father and was astonished to see his eyes that were red rimmed from lack of sleep and the ratty, smelly clothes he wore.

"Are you alright?" she asked distancing herself from Erik and walking over to her father that obviously needed her.

"I'm fine, darling. I'm just going to try and get some sleep." He said going over to her door to get to his room.

"Wait." She said going to follow him. Erik had made his way out of the room to get a maid for her as if he knew she would need a moment alone with her father. Now that Erik wasn't in earshot she didn't try and hide her anger. "Stop and listen to me."

"What do you want to talk about?" he said, sighing, stopping before reaching his bedroom door.

She stopped a couple feet from him, smelling the muskiness of alcohol on him. "What are you doing?"

He averted his eyes and looked around the room, anywhere but at her. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean." She seethed. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice the way you're acting? I remember every time I had to pick you up and fix you when I was growing up, starting on my earliest memories. I thought I was done seeing you this way. What changed? What happened to make you return to this… state?" she said gesturing at the mess he was showing.

She watched as he looked down at the ground and she could see a tear fall down his cheek. Watching his tears shed, she felt her eyes starting to water. She had to keep control over her emotions or she would never get the answers she needed.

"I'm a horrible father." She had to strain her ears to hear what he said for he whispered and mumbled the words.

"If you stop drinking and get better… promise that you won't drink one more drop of alcohol…" she came closer and lifted his face to make him look her in the eyes. "You are a good father. I just don't want to see you like this."

"It's not just the Scotch or the Whisky. Even without the alcohol I am a bad father. I couldn't keep my business going to support you. I couldn't support you… you went on to support me… that's just not right. Then when everything became too much I started drinking. I kept it hidden from you as much as I could. When Monsieur Dreaser came along, I thought everything would be fixed and I jumped on the opportunity to give you a better life… even if it means making you marry a complete stranger that you don't like."

Then she realized. He started drinking again because he thought he disappointed her. The first time she saw him drinking was a couple nights after she stormed out of the dining hall, accusing Erik of wanting her as his mistress. He had only seen the bad and the content times between Erik and her.

"Papa, you don't need to be upset with yourself. Everything is fine… everything is more than fine. Erik and I are… great. You made the right decision when Erik came to you. I'm happy."

The tear tracks on his cheeks dried and his eyes stopped dripping tears. "You're happy?" he asked disbelievingly.

She gave him a small smile and let her eyes water with good tears. "I'm more than happy. Erik is more than I could have hoped for. He is the man I am meant to be with. I'm not just saying that to alleviate your worries. I'm saying this because I want to tell you, my papa, what I feel inside." She said touching her hand to her chest, over her heart. She let the words come out of her mouth without a second thought. "I love him."

That was the first time those words came out. She had never said those three words to Erik, she had never said those words to anyone, except her father. She didn't even realize she had those feelings for him. She knew she liked spending time with him and couldn't wait to see him when they were apart, but the thought that she actually loved him never crossed her mind.

"You love him? How? You've only known each other for… four days." He asked, bewildered.

Shrugging her shoulders she said, "He's the one."

**xXx**

The sermon had been enlightening. The first prayer had been led by Captain Smith and the music had been sung in unison after. When the pastor had come to the podium and started to preach, Christine realized that it had been a long time since she went to church. Her father had insisted on going to church every Sunday to hear the word of God, but after her mother died and his business plundered he found himself losing faith.

Now as she sat with a tired, hung-over father on one side, her gift from God on the other and a Bible in her lap she couldn't help herself from feeling like she was out of place. A month ago she never would have believed that she would be here. Her father was a drunken mess in the house of the Lord. He didn't have the energy to comb his hair back or even tie his tie correctly for such an occasion. But most importantly she didn't see herself sitting next to a man like Erik. He was every woman's dream, flawless, except for the mask that covered his face which she didn't mind. He was polite, kind, caring, he had everything a woman would want… and she loved him. What she loved most was his confidence. Even now he sat next to her surrounded by people that were wealthier and more well-known and he didn't care. Other men would be looking around, tense, trying to outbid everyone else in their wealth or happiness.

She imagined him looking this confident at the altar on their wedding day.

That picture brought on a whole dream of how beautiful it would look if they got married here and now in the chapel on the Titanic. Be the first couple to marry on the magnificent ship. She was wearing a pearl white dress of finest silk and he was wearing his best suit. Why not? It would be perfect. The dining room could become the reception hall and all the people in the 1st class could be guests at their wedding and give them well wishes. She had all of the necessary pieces, something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. She was wearing one of her mother's cross necklaces, she was wearing a brand new dress that Erik gifted her, she was wearing a blue engagement ring and Marguerite let her borrow a hair clip before they walked into the chapel because in her words 'your hair looks unexciting and it matches your ring'. It would be the dream wedding she always wanted.

But one thing was holding it all back, the fact that they didn't have a marriage license.

She looked up at Erik to see he was staring at her shamelessly. She hadn't realized that in her daydream she had grabbed Erik's hand and enveloped it with both of hers, resting them on her lap. He had unabashed admiration in his eyes and she just wanted to tell him what she thought. She wanted to tell him she loved him.

Just when she was about to lean in and whisper in his ear everyone stood at once to sing the last hymn. Erik and Christine stood in unison never letting go of the each other's hand and sang along with the rest of the people.

When the song ended everyone turned to the people around them and started talking and catching up with each other as if they hadn't seen each other in a week.

Erik guided Christine by the hand out the door until they were standing by the Grand Staircase away from the ears of everyone else and to the quiet of the isolated hall.

"I have to tell you something." Erik said when he knew everyone was out of ear shot.

Christine suddenly became nervous. He changed from adoring and passionate this morning and in the chapel to shy and embarrassed now. The looks on his face made her want to pull him into her arms and comfort him.

"I should apologize for last night. I don't know what came over me."

"Why are you apologizing? Didn't you say earlier not to apologize for expressing these feelings?" Christine said boldly.

He shook his head as if to figure out what to say next or clear his mind. "I know I told you that, but that's because I need to know that you have such strong feelings for me. I'm just afraid of unleashing all of it on you. I'm afraid I'll scare you."

She wanted to jump for joy to know that he was holding back and trying to control himself, but she didn't like to see the anxious look on his face. "I feel the same way. I don't want you to pull back; I need to know that you have strong feelings towards me too. But can I ask, what happened last night?"

"I don't know. I think it must have been the dancing… or maybe the oysters…."

"No not that. Last night after we kissed… you pulled away. You left me to go into my room… alone." Curiosity was eating at her; she wanted to know why he'd abandoned her to cold, empty sheets when all she wanted was to share the same warm bed as him.

"I didn't want to assume…" Erik was now dumbfounded at the thought that she was upset with his gentlemanly manners.

"I told you… when I found the right man… I wouldn't wait. I don't need to wait with you." She was about to say those three big words, but people started shuffling out of the chapel and towards them.

She knew that if people weren't walking towards them at the moment, before she could say 'I love you', he would have picked her up over his shoulder and took the staircase up to their suite and stayed there until neither of them could walk or even get out of bed.

"Christine." Marguerite called as she walked arm in arm with Raoul towards them.

"Marguerite." Christine said coming closer and giving her a kiss on each cheek.

Rubbing her large stomach, she asked, "Would you like to get some tea out on deck?"

"I would love that." Christine said, turning to look at Erik to invite him along.

"I have a few things I have to do back in the suite, but I'll meet up with you later."

Christine was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't join her, but she understood that he had work to do. That or he was just too overwhelmed by what she just told him that he needed time to himself. She reluctantly released his hand and went to follow Marguerite to the dining hall.

Erik watched her go and hurried up to the suite to prepare for her arrival. He had a long night prepared for her.

**xXx**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed and please review! This is the last day Titanic see's daylight so the action and good stuff will be happening really soon!**


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